AN ambitious plan to build a healthcare super surgery which would cater for thousands of people will be placed in jeopardy unless an issue preventing work from beginning is solved.

The project - planned for the site of the former Alfred Barrow School, in Duke Street, Barrow, will only get the go-ahead once an issue with surface water is resolved.

Dr Geoff Jolliffe, a partner at Barrow's Risedale Surgery and the lead commissioning GP for Furness on Cumbria's clinical commissioning group, last night said that delays are putting the project at risk.

He said: "We need to get this sported - and fast. The issue we have is that demolition work cannot begin until we have planning consent and delays can potentially add cost to the project. That could be in the area of hundreds of thousands and the NHS simply does not have the kind of money to meet that.

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"This issue with drainage has come out of the left field. It's not something I knew about, but I will be finding out what the issue is."

Councillors on Barrow's planning committee passed a resolution which gives their full support for the scheme. But they had to stop short of granting consent.

Charles Wilton, principal planning officer at Barrow Borough Council, said: "There was a desire on the part of the planning committee to signal their support for this project, which is why they passed the resolution.

"The issue about drainage could be resolved within days, so rather than wait for the next planning committee, it was agreed a planning panel, made up of just a few councillors, would meet to give final approval".

The new facility will house various health services, including the three practices of Abbey Road Surgery, Risedale Surgery and Atkinson Health Centre, Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group, Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and the North West Ambulance Service.

The centre will also include a pharmacy provider, health visitors, children’s services, community paediatrics, therapy, primary mental health, physiotherapy, specialist nursing for diabetes, learning disabilities and autism, neurosciences and occupational health for BAE Systems.

The main school building is Grade II listed and dates back to 1888. It is surrounded on three sides by extensions which were added over the years.

The applications from Carveti Partnership Ltd seek to demolish the extensions, but retain the listed main building. 

The existing building would be refurbished, along with the extension, to provide clinical, administration and support services. External areas would be reconfigured to create parking for staff, public and emergency vehicles.

An area of land on the opposite side of Duke Street is set to be for visitor parking, although there will be disabled parking spaces next to the centre. The lower ground floor of the former school will accommodate the ambulance service.