Current GP surgeries say – contrary to the developer’s claims – that they do not have the capacity for extra demand which would be created by the controversial 1,850-home North Walsham West Urban expansion.
A visualisation of homes in the North Walsham West development (Image: Bidwells)
Paston Surgery and Birchwood Medical Practice, in North Walsham have objected to the scheme, proposed for land between Cromer Road and Norwich Road.
Paston Surgery in North Walsham (Image: NHS)
And officials at the NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board (ICB) – which oversees health care – agrees local surgeries do not have the capacity to deal with the 3,000 new residents the scheme would create.
In a letter to North Norfolk District Council, which will decide whether to grant planning permission for the scheme, ICB officials say the scheme would place “significant additional demand on primary, community, acute, mental health and ambulance services.”
They said: “Our assessment indicates that the relevant GP practices do not have sufficient premises capacity to accommodate this growth.”
They are asking that the council, if it agrees planning permission, includes a condition that the developer must make a contribution of £1.7m towards primary and community care and a further £556,000 to the East of England Ambulance Service.
The scheme is being proposed by landowners and a consortium, comprising of Flagship Housing, Lovell Partnerships and land promoters ESCO Prospect, who are seeking full permission for the first phase of 437 homes.
They are also seeking outline permission for the majority of the site, including provision of elderly care accommodation, land for a primary school, and a local centre for commercial and community uses.
In documents they submitted to North Norfolk District Council, they stated: “Access to healthcare is not expected to be significantly affected.
“The baseline analysis suggests that there is currently a good ratio of GPs to patients in the town and that the existing surgeries are likely to have the physical capacity to accommodate the additional patients resulting from the development.
“Funding for staff is disseminated by the local Integrated Care Board from the national NHS budget.
“This is subject to an annual review that incorporates the latest population projections, including anticipated house building.
“As such, central government funding will anticipate the additional patients generated by the development and provide the prerequisite funding to ensure the surgeries are appropriately staffed.”
Artist impressions of the development in North Walsham (Image: Bidwells)
But ICB officials said the developer should not assume NHS revenue funding mechanisms would deliver the necessary money.
They said developer contributions were “necessary to ensure that physical infrastructure is expanded in step with demand and that access to local healthcare services is maintained”.
Officials warned: “If adequate NHS contributions are not secured and made available in time to enable the expansion of estate infrastructure, the impacts of the development would be unsustainable and would risk reduced access to healthcare services.”
Lucy Shires, Liberal Democrat councillor (Image: Lucy Shires)
Lucy Shires, Liberal Democrat county councillor for North Walsham East and North Norfolk district councillor for North Walsham West, has also raised concerns about the healthcare impact.
In her objection, she said: “I recognise the need for new homes, particularly affordable homes, and I strongly support the inclusion of green infrastructure and open space within the proposals.
“However, growth must be accompanied by infrastructure that genuinely meets the needs of both existing and future residents.
“In its current form, I do not believe this application sufficiently addresses the pressures that this scale of development will place upon healthcare infrastructure and the wider transport network.”
She said existing services were already under pressure and said: “The community should not be expected to absorb thousands of additional residents in the hope that healthcare infrastructure may follow later.
“A new health centre and accessible NHS dentistry provision should be secured before significant occupation takes place.”
Jerome Mayhew MP (Image: Newsquest)
Jerome Mayhew, Conservative MP for Broadland and Fakenham, is among others opposing the proposals.
North Norfolk District Council’s planning committee is due to discuss the plans in the autumn.