Council update as "very concerning" dispute over new health centre in Berewood continues

Berewood in Waterlooville already has 1,100 homes built with another 1,450 set to be constructed with planning permission approved 14 years ago. However, a disagreement has arisen regarding the wording of the initial planning agreement with the NHS and the developer, Grainger, both believing that the other one is responsible for building the health centre.

The crux of the issue is the original S106 planning document states that the developer only has to provide the land for the health care facility.

While the NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board has pointed to further details in the document which set out the specifications of the building, including how many GP rooms would be required, arguing it would not be required if the expectations was for the NHS to fund and build it.

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The News requested a comment from Havant Borough Council after the dispute came to light last week. In a short statement it has confirmed that the the planning application only specified that the land needed to be provided by the developer.

A council spokesperson said: “The Planning Permission granted on April 18, 2012 and S106 Agreement dated March 30, 2012 states that the developer has to provide the land for health care.”

In a statement last week, Director of Primary Care and Local Care, James Roach, said: “The NHS is not, and has never been provided with, funds to build health centres in housing developments.

“Land is not a mitigation in the provision of health services when new houses are proposed by developers and with no capital contribution given to the NHS as part of this legal process, there is no possibility or funding for the NHS to build a new health centre.

“It is due to this that agreements were made with all parties as a condition of the grant of planning permission for a health centre to be provided by the developer for these new homes to avoid intolerable extra strain on existing health services nearby.”

The MP for Fareham and Waterlooville, Suella Braverman, has described the situation as “very concerning” and has met with both Grainger and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Health Board to discuss the issue.

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Grainger recently applied for amendments to be made to the initial planning document (S106) to change the wording in relation to a health centre. The NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB opposed this in the “strongest possible terms”.

A letter to the planning department highlighted passages within the S106 which the ICB believe leads to the conclusion that the developer is building the health centre, including similar wording being used regarding the building of a community centre, which the developer is responsible for building.

The community centre is another point of frustration for residents with only a temporary community centre currently in place which holds 60 people.

Cllr Neil Cutler, Deputy Leader of Winchester City Council, commenting on the slow development of facilities said: "Community facilities are vital for creating a sense of place in new settlements – that is why they are an important part of the planning process.

"In this case new facilities are set out at relevant stages of development - notably the number of houses delivered and occupied - the slow pace of this development has meant that community facilities have not been delivered in a timeframe that existing residents would reasonably expect.

"We recognise and share the frustration that residents express but we can't compel the developer to bring forward delivery earlier than the agreed triggers - we're continuing to work with the developer to press the delivery of these facilities as soon as possible."