As a planning application is submitted for a new health centre and community hall in Mayfield, Conservative Cllr Brian Redman who represents Mayfield and Five Ashes at Wealden District, has welcomed the progress on the project.
The plans are to provide a new Medical and Community Centre in Mayfield under a scheme begun in January 2019 under the then Conservative administration which controlled Wealden District Council.
Councillor Dr Brian Redman has represented Wealden on the Project Board throughout the project, which like many similar projects has had to contend with the traumas of covid, legal challenge and increasing costs.
“The submission of the planning application within the current financial budget is a major step in the provision of a Community Centre that will meet the future needs of the Parish and a purpose-built Medical Centre that will enable our medical practice in Mayfield to continue to provide an excellent service to its registered patients from Mayfield and surrounding areas in the North of Wealden”, said Cllr Redman.
The project to build a new community hall and health centre is being undertaken in partnership between Wealden District and the local Parish Council.
The delivery of a purpose-built health centre, incorporating four GP consulting rooms, three treatment rooms, patient waiting room and ancillary spaces together with an adjacent community centre comprising halls, a community hub, office space and flexible meeting rooms, will provide the residents of Mayfield and Five Ashes with much improved medical and village facilities.
Cllr Ian Parker, chairman of Mayfield & Five Ashes Parish Council, said,
“This is a complicated project with numerous factors to consider, but thanks to the hard work of our partners at Wealden, my colleagues on the Parish Council and all those involved we have overcome some significant issues to get to this point. It’s an exciting stage and one more step along the way to delivering this much needed and important building for our community. We look forward to making further progress in 2025 and to bringing the project to fruition.”
Andrew Cornell, managing partner of Ashdown Medical Group, said, “These plans are exciting. Our current surgery isn’t fit for purpose and the new medical centre will give us the opportunity to provide a top-quality service for the people of Mayfield and Five Ashes and for their children and grandchildren. Without this purpose-built premises, the future in our current building is very unknown.”
A Pre-Construction Services Agreement has been signed with Baxall Construction Limited, a local contractor to deliver the project. The concept of the new builidng is illustrated.
