Developer offers to create parking spaces

7:00pm Saturday 16th March 2013 in News

A developer hoping to build a 60-bed care home behind Mably Way Health Centre in Grove has offered to create 35 parking spaces for the centre.

But GPs and practice managers are still against the proposal.

Slough-based Ashley House submitted a planning application last month following a public exhibition of its plans in Wantage and Grove in December.

Doctors and managers from the health centre’s two practices – Newbury Street and Church Street – oppose the plan, which would also prevent the centre from expanding, because the patch of land in question is currently used for patients and visiting mobile clinics to park.

Ashley House planning consultant Terry Gashe said the developer had drawn up plans to create 35 parking spaces for the health centre.

Newbury Street practice manager Bob Lewis said: “It is a welcome move if they do get permission, at least they are trying to meet some of our concerns, but I would still rather there was no development.”

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Comments (3)

6:48pm Sun 17 Mar 13

Myron Blatz says...

Isn't Ashley House the same company which has Invesco Perpetual as a major shareholder, which allegedly invests in Robert Mugabe's human rights-torn and corrupt Zimbabwe? Doesn't this care home provider also have another major shareholder called Admenta - better-known to people living in Grove and Oxfordshire as Lloyds Pharmacies, which ever-so coincidentally just happens to run the chemist/pharmacy at the Mably Way Health Centre, near to where Ashley want to develop a massive 60-person care home, where the sick, infirmed and elderley will be charged (according to the Ashley House national website) between £550 and £1,200 per week - or for those longer-term residents, costing them or their families a staggering 'market-led' annual cost of between £28,600 basic and up to £62,400. Is this what Cameron and the Tories call 'working with the NHS' or, has healthcare for those who need care and treatment been allowed to become rich pickings for commercial vultures and those who profit grossly from the sick and the needy in society? When we see savings and houses going to fund family and friends in care homes, is this to pay for care and treatment, or to fund shareholder profits and corporate revenue investment?
Isn't Ashley House the same company which has Invesco Perpetual as a major shareholder, which allegedly invests in Robert Mugabe's human rights-torn and corrupt Zimbabwe? Doesn't this care home provider also have another major shareholder called Admenta - better-known to people living in Grove and Oxfordshire as Lloyds Pharmacies, which ever-so coincidentally just happens to run the chemist/pharmacy at the Mably Way Health Centre, near to where Ashley want to develop a massive 60-person care home, where the sick, infirmed and elderley will be charged (according to the Ashley House national website) between £550 and £1,200 per week - or for those longer-term residents, costing them or their families a staggering 'market-led' annual cost of between £28,600 basic and up to £62,400. Is this what Cameron and the Tories call 'working with the NHS' or, has healthcare for those who need care and treatment been allowed to become rich pickings for commercial vultures and those who profit grossly from the sick and the needy in society? When we see savings and houses going to fund family and friends in care homes, is this to pay for care and treatment, or to fund shareholder profits and corporate revenue investment? Myron Blatz

10:48am Mon 18 Mar 13

Born-n-bred says...

WOW !!! What an incentive - The builders have offered to supply 35 parking spaces.
- With the prospect of an additional 8,500 houses in the area this could mean an extra 17,000 people wanting to register with the already oversubscribed health centre. Have you tried to get an appointment lately ? you have to be sychic and know you are going to be ill at least a week in advance.
The builders should be made to look at least in providing an extension AND a couple of doctors to the health centre in order to cover the medical requirements of the people in local community.
But I am sure 35 parking spaces will be welcomed by the additional 17,000 people in years to come !!!
WOW !!! What an incentive - The builders have offered to supply 35 parking spaces. - With the prospect of an additional 8,500 houses in the area this could mean an extra 17,000 people wanting to register with the already oversubscribed health centre. Have you tried to get an appointment lately ? you have to be sychic and know you are going to be ill at least a week in advance. The builders should be made to look at least in providing an extension AND a couple of doctors to the health centre in order to cover the medical requirements of the people in local community. But I am sure 35 parking spaces will be welcomed by the additional 17,000 people in years to come !!! Born-n-bred

10:36am Tue 19 Mar 13

Sue002 says...

Sounds wonderful - but the truth is this application is short-sighted and it will put the future provision of Health Services in Wantage in jeopardy. The two doctors’ surgeries and related services, district nurses etc. health visitors, podiatry, retinopathy, moved to the present site only 9 years ago because there was not enough space in the centre of town. At the time it was thought the bigger site, with room for expansion, would meet the needs of the town for future generations. Using this precious area for a care home will mean the Health Centre will be forced to move yet again.
The NHS is currently undergoing huge changes and with the advent of the Clinical Commissioning Groups, more services will be moved out into the community. Having a dedicated hub would strengthen the town’s case to have at least some of these extra services sited at the Health Centre in Wantage. Losing this land means the residents of Wantage will miss out yet again and have to put up with long journeys travelling to other towns for screening or treatment.
With several thousand homes planned for Wantage and Grove, the population will increase dramatically over the coming years with more people requiring more health provision. All three existing doctors' practices will need to expand and the option of extending their current buildings on one site seems the most sensible choice.
Being bought off by a few extra car parking spaces will make a difference - Wantage will not get the Health Services is needs.
Sounds wonderful - but the truth is this application is short-sighted and it will put the future provision of Health Services in Wantage in jeopardy. The two doctors’ surgeries and related services, district nurses etc. health visitors, podiatry, retinopathy, moved to the present site only 9 years ago because there was not enough space in the centre of town. At the time it was thought the bigger site, with room for expansion, would meet the needs of the town for future generations. Using this precious area for a care home will mean the Health Centre will be forced to move yet again. The NHS is currently undergoing huge changes and with the advent of the Clinical Commissioning Groups, more services will be moved out into the community. Having a dedicated hub would strengthen the town’s case to have at least some of these extra services sited at the Health Centre in Wantage. Losing this land means the residents of Wantage will miss out yet again and have to put up with long journeys travelling to other towns for screening or treatment. With several thousand homes planned for Wantage and Grove, the population will increase dramatically over the coming years with more people requiring more health provision. All three existing doctors' practices will need to expand and the option of extending their current buildings on one site seems the most sensible choice. Being bought off by a few extra car parking spaces will make a difference - Wantage will not get the Health Services is needs. Sue002

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