"Very concerning" dispute between NHS and Grainger leaves Berewood residents in limbo with no health centre in sight
A dispute over who is responsible for providing a new-build housing estate with healthcare facilities has arisen 14 years after the planning agreement was made.
1,100 homes have already been built in Berewood, Waterlooville, and with at least another 1,450 to go, concerns have been raised over a lack of healthcare facilities.
The developer Grainger has recently applied for amendments to be made to the initial planning document (S106) to change the wording in relation to a health centre, with a spokesperson saying there is “no planning permission or condition requiring a health centre to be built by the developer”.
The NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board have responded in the “strongest possible terms” to the amendment and believe the onus is on the developers to provide the facilities.
Director of Primary Care and Local Care, James Roach, said: “NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight has responded in the strongest possible terms to an application made by Grainger to the relevant planning authority to remove references to a health centre that is to be provided by the Berewood project housing developer.
“The NHS is not, and has never been provided with, funds to build health centres in housing developments. In this case, a previous Section 106 agreement with the planning authority included reference to the developer providing a health centre at nil consideration, which we are disappointed that Grainger are now disputing given it has been in place for 14 years.
“The local population have always been clear that the delivery of a health centre would be required infrastructure necessary to mitigate the development, and officer’s reports from the time showed a timeline for when the developer was expected to deliver this facility.”
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.
Grainger has highlighted an extract from the Primary Care Trust section of the Planning Officer’s report which is in the Outline Planning Permission.
The extract states: “The provision of land free of charge is considered to be an appropriate contribution towards health care provision.”
Therefore with the land having been set aside for ten years the developers believe the NHS need to provide the funding and a delivery partner for the work.
Commenting on the latest developments, James Roach added: “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.”
It is not only the lack of development with the health centre which has caused consternation with local residents. The community facilities and a lack of shops has also been a cause of dismay having initially been promised when buying properties.
Havant Borough Council have been approached for comment.