Castleford will have a new purpose-built health hub if senior councillors give their approval.
To meet the increasing demand for healthcare services, Wakefield Council is planning to invest £12.5 million in building a new hub.
Two existing GP practices, along with a new practice and Council services would open in the building, that is planned on the site of the car park of an existing health centre, in Welbeck Street.
This would create an integrated healthcare hub that could help ease pressure on local hospitals and other NHS services by allowing residents to receive a wider range of treatments, closer to home.
If the proposal is given the go ahead it will be the first major regeneration project to be achieved by the Council, who recently committed to transforming the town centre and bringing improvements that could benefit residents, businesses, and visitors.
The health hub proposal comes under the Strategic Regeneration Framework for Castleford, that was agreed by Cabinet members at their last meeting, on 11 October, and is a guide to how the town centre could be developed over the next two decades by the Council and in collaboration with other organisations.
This project is being delivered in a partnership between Wakefield Council, the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), and NHS Property Services.
Most of the Council funding will be covered by them leasing the building back to the occupiers.
The Leader of Wakefield Council, Cllr Denise Jeffery, said: “We are one step closer to achieving better healthcare for residents in Castleford and that is great news.
“The new hub is much needed and there is widespread support for it among local people. We are proud to realise our aim of creating better health and lives for our residents and making Castleford a great place to live with access to the best services.”
If approved, construction work on the new health hub is expected to start in the summer of 2023 and be completed by early 2025.