Bury council's planning committee is set to meet next week to decide on a proposal to transform the former Whitefield Library into a new doctors' surgery. Officers have recommended approval of the plan, which would see Uplands Medical Centre relocate from its current home off Bury New Road to the vacant building on Pinfold Lane.
Building Refurbishment and Facilities
The former library, which has stood empty since 2017 except for a brief period as a Covid vaccination site, would undergo a refresh. Plans include a new entrance with step and ramp access, a replacement roof, and new windows. The car park would be reconfigured to provide 24 parking spaces and additional cycle storage.
Inside, the surgery would feature nine consultation rooms and two treatment rooms, an increase from the nine clinical rooms currently at Uplands. Local NHS leaders hope this expansion will allow more patients to be seen and reduce waiting times within the community.
Extended Opening Hours
The new surgery would operate six days a week instead of the current five. Weekday hours would be extended to 8pm from the current 6.30pm finish, and Saturday opening hours would be 10am to 5pm. No additional staff are proposed for the site.
Access would be via the existing vehicle entrance on Pinfold Lane.
Community Benefits
Council leader Eamonn O'Brien previously described the proposal as a 'win-win' for Whitefield residents. He said: "Buildings which have lain empty for years will be brought back into use, and medical services will remain in the town centre in modern, high-quality premises. This is an important site, and we feel that a new health centre, replacing poor and outdated facilities at the Uplands, is something that will be warmly welcomed by many thousands of Whitefield residents."
Professor Colin Scales, deputy chief executive of NHS Greater Manchester, added: "This move will give patients in Whitefield and the surrounding area access to a much-improved health centre, in a building that's more modern, more accessible, and better suited to delivering care today and in the future. The current premises at Uplands have served the community for many years but are no longer fit for purpose."
Next Steps
The planning committee meeting will determine whether the scheme proceeds. If approved, the conversion would bring a long-vacant building back into use and provide enhanced healthcare services for the community.
