PLANS to create a new health hub in the Alhambra Shopping Centre - which is expected to bring in 250,000 people a year - are moving forward after cabinet members agreed to a number of recommendations.
Announced back in March, the venue will transform parts of the shopping centre to create convenient health services within the heart of the town centre.
Barnsley Council have been working alongside Barnsley Hospital, Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL), South West/ Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SWYFT) and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to bring their services together.
It is expected that more than 100,000 visitors a year will use the hub instead of Barnsley Hospital, with BPL’s offer attracting a further 150,000 a year.
At a behind-closed-doors meeting on Wednesday, ruling cabinet members agreed to multiple recommendations, including the development of a full business case for the SYMCA, funding bids for public bodies and negotiating external grant and funding agreements.
The council has also appointed masterplanners who will work with key partners to understand their needs and aspirations for the hub - they will then come up with ideas on how these services can work together to make it more accessible for users.
Its first phase will focus on eye services and current providers say they will be speaking to patients and carers to get their views and ideas.
Over the next 12 months, the council will plan out further stages of the project with detailed costs at each stage that must be approved by cabinet.
Meanwhile, SYMCA ‘GainShare’ funding has been approved in principle, to help support delivery of the phase one capital works, which includes maintenance and improvements to the Alhambra that will improve its current condition and get it ready for future phases of the project.
Works will start in the next few months and take place over the next year.
Coun Sir Steve Houghton, leader of Barnsley Council, said: “We’re taking exciting steps forward on Barnsley’s innovative Health and Wellbeing Hub.
“This next phase will help us gain a deep understanding of what our residents and partners need and allow us to create detailed plans for the layout and services in the hub.
“While we’re doing this research and planning, we’ll also be doing essential maintenance and improvements to the much-loved Alhambra Shopping Centre.
“Barnsley is a bold and innovative place that is raising the bar on health, investment, and high street regeneration, and we are proud of what we’re achieving together.”
Bob Kirton, Barnsley Hospital’s managing director, added: “We’re absolutely delighted to take this exciting opportunity to the next stage of development.
“We’ve been listening to what our patients, their families and our colleagues tell us and it’s clear that there is a real appetite for bringing more health services to a town centre location which is easy, convenient, modern and linked with other services and facilities.
“This means we can build on the success of the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), which has been incredibly well received by the people of Barnsley.”
