THE creation of a new health hub for Horwich is a step closer with ‘significant progress’ being made.

A public consultation was held in March with further blueprints published for the site.

Planning permission for a new health and wellbeing hub for a facility on land opposite the new leisure centre in Victoria Road, the site of the former and demolished leisure centre, was originally granted in 2016, with delays causing frustration for local leaders.

However, the NHS has told The Bolton News that progress is being made, with an eye to approval of updated plans in the near future.

Bolton CCG said significant progress was being made on the health hub, with the planning of the building being signed off the next big step. They said there are many steps and approval processes that need to happen before work can start, but that there’s many positive signs coming to the end of the year.

An NHS spokesman said: “We are still working through the stages of approval and planning.”

Horwich North East councillor Marie Brady also hailed this progress being made for the hub.

Cllr Brady said: “I’ve been enquiring for months and got this update three weeks ago but nothing since. "It’s clear that there are so many steps that have to be gone through with NHS England, which is fine as long as we are updated very regularly too.

“The land it’s meant to be on is now barren after being empty for five years and has had travellers on it multiple times. I asked the NHS if they still wanted to use the land as it could be sold and used for something else if not.

“But they guaranteed they still wanted it and were progressing with the plans. The public consultation earlier in the year apparently showed that residents were still very keen for it so hopefully work can start as soon as possible.

“It would benefit Horwich so much and stop people having to travel to Bolton or Chorley for some of their care. It’s something we all want to see but has been going on since 2016 now, we just want to see work starting as soon as possible.”

Under the proposals, Pikes View Medical Centre and Bolton Community Practice, would relocate to the centre, to join up with community services provided by the Royal Bolton Hospital Foundation Trust.

Primary care staff such as pharmacists, physicians, nurses and mental health practitioners, alongside services such as podiatry, mental health support, health visiting, occupational therapy and midwifery will work from there.