What will happen to the scrapped Medical Centre land?

We know the Medical Centre is not going ahead and Battle councillors have secured a consultation for the £1.5 million Section 106 money, but what's happening to the land left behind?

This land belongs to the soon to be defunct Primary Care Trust (PCT).  Leader of the Council Jo Lovelock has asked Alok Sharma MP to ensure the proceeds from the sale of this land are re-invested in the local community but we have yet to have a reply.

Will the money vanish into the Government coffers or will it be passed to the new Core Commissioning Groups (CCG's) to improve local health provision?

Battle 106 - Sharma has missed the point entirely

Just got a leaflet through my door from Alok Sharma asking Labour councillors to honour their pledge to spend the Battle 106 money on healthcare. 

He does understand that the money was never going to be spent on healthcare doesn't he?  It was going to provide a building to house healthcare services that were to be provided by the Primary Care Trust (PCT).  Not a single penny was going to pay a nurses wage or buy so much as  plaster.  The PCT took that healthcare away because of cuts to the NHS.

When the PCT pulled the healthcare rug from under Battle residents feet at the end of 2011 he didn't care (see here).  Shouldn't he then have expressed his outrage that Battle residents were having a service they wanted taken away from them then?  Shouldn't he have lobbied the PCT to restore this funding?  He did nothing.

He has not contacted us about this money, just used it as a cheap political football.  He has seen who we have selected as our parliamentary candidate and realised he needs to actually do something for residents if he wants any chance of keeping his parliamentary seat.  But rather than engage in a useful way, he has decided to do his own thing. 

Why should he and his petition decide what this money should be used for (it won't - the consultation will)? He hasn't given residents any options.  He is telling them.  People from outside the borough, let alone outside the immediate Battle are can sign his petition.  Why should they tell Battle residents what they want?

Battle councillors and Reading Borough Council are going to consult local residents and ASK them what they feel is important to them and how they want the money spent.  Nothing has been decided and nothing's been ruled out.  We have already started work on the consultation. We ask, not tell!

Battle site medical centre a victim of NHS cutbacks

It has been confirmed by the local health authority that the much anticipated medical centre on the Battle Hospital site will not be built.  To say this is disappointing would be a massive understatement.  For years Battle residents have been waiting for the medical centre and it was something they decided they would like on the former hospital site after being consulted in 2005.

In a press release from NHS Berkshire, financial constraints were given as one of the reasons for abandoning their plans.  This is a very real demonstration of how the Tory/Lib Dem's plans for the NHS are effecting  the people of Reading already, before the highly damaging health bill is passed.  For example the number of patients on waiting lists for more than 18 weeks has risen 153 % in Berkshire West since May 2010.

Battle councillors believe the Primary care Trust (PCT) will sell off the land in West Village for further housing.  Battle councillor ChrisMaskell said: “This is a betrayal of the Oxford Road Community. In 2005 we held a series of public meetings and surveyed the entire ward to find out what people wanted to come from the redevelopment of the Battle Hospital site. The overwhelming response was that people wanted a medical centre to replace Battle Hospital. “

Battle councillor Gul Khan said: “This is a devastating blow to the Oxford Road Community. We believe the Coalition Government is “cleaning up” the NHS in preparation to sell off the profitable bits to the highest bidders wherever they may be in the world but only time will tell. However, what we do know is, cuts to the NHS are happening now even though the Coalition Government’s NHS reform bill has not yet passed into legislation. What the PCT is proposing is a disgrace.”

Here is the press release from Reading and District Labour Party about this weekend of action.  There will be a stall outside Battle Library from 10-1 tomorrow (Saturday 10 December 2011) and you can sign the petition to drop the bill here: