The former Burntwood Youth Centre building
The Burntwood Youth Centre building

A youth centre in Burntwood has been earmarked as the location for a medical facility in Burntwood.

Staffordshire County Council said the location at Cherry Close will become the home for a permanent replacement for two existing medical practices – Salters Meadow Health Centre and the Burntwood Health and Wellbeing Centre.

It follows the recent opening of the Greenwood Health Centre on Lichfield Road.

Cllr Julia Jessel, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for health and care, said:

“Following the success of the Greenwood Centre on land that the county council had deliberately held on to so it could be used for the benefit of the people of Burntwood, I am delighted we can now use this second site to do exactly the same again.

“Although it’s very early days I’m sure that once it’s built, the new medical centre will be a fantastic addition to the town and there is also the opportunity to put other services on the site as we need them.

“This is another example of how close working with the NHS can make a real, very positive difference to people’s day-to-day lives and provide first class facilities close to home.”

Cllr Julia Jessel, Staffordshire County Council

The eight acre Cherry Close site was formerly a county council-run youth centre but is now used by tenants on short term leases, with the land also featuring sports pitches and a skate park.

The council said it is working with these organisations to find long term alternative locations.

The Burntwood Health and Wellbeing Centre has been based in temporary buildings alongside the nearby leisure centre for a number of years.

Lynn Millar, director of primary care for the NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Groups, said:

“We are delighted to be working with Staffordshire County Council on this project on plans that could lead to improved services for local people.

“While this is still at an early stage, we are keen to explore the benefits this would bring.”

Lynn Millar, NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Groups
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Kim Wyatt
2 years ago

Hi I would like to add that this article is very vague and misleading to the public. The short term tenants which you are referring to is a charting called liberty jamboree which is a youth centre for SEN,disabilities and mental health issues. Non of this is mentioned in your article. It is portraying that the youth centre is hardly used when it’s actually used 7 days a week not only just by liberty jamboree but other youth prevision and user groups.

Mike Edmunds
2 years ago

The new Youth Centre will be? Forgotten, skate park football pitch?

Steven Norman
2 years ago

Express and Star headline on 27th April 2007 said:
“Hospital sale to boost services.
The sale of three former hospital sites in Lichfield and Burntwood will see cash ploughed back into local health services.”

In 2009 the Primary Care Trust (PCT) had promised two new health centres, on the Greenwood Care Home site, eventually built 13 years later, and near the Leisure Centre. The temporary “Walk in” Health Centre was granted temporary planning permission three times!

The PCT was abolished by the Coalition government and nothing was done – as my Freedom of Information questions showed. In answer to the question: “Has NHS England, Including its predecessor bodies such as the local PCT and Regional Health Authority, received any representations in support of the development of the Burntwood Health Centre between 1st of May 2012 and 1st of May 2014 from the local Member of Parliament and if so on what dates and whether they were by email, letter, phone call or meeting?”
The NHS responded: “NHS England holds some of this information. We have no record of any correspondence from the local MP on the old PCT files prior to April 2013. There is no record of any correspondence from the local MP to the Area Team since April 2013 to date.”

A follow up question also revealed that there was no record of correspondence from the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health, Matthew Ellis, between 1st of December 2010 and April 2013.

So let’s hope that Conservatives – whether County Councillor or MP – don’t start claiming credit for what Burntwood was promised when Hammerwich Hospital was demolished 13 years ago and which Labour members on the County, District and Town councils have been asking for since 2010.

Lichfield Live
2 years ago
Reply to  Kim Wyatt

Hi Kim, sorry to hear you feel it is misleading. However, it doesn’t state anywhere that the site is “hardly used” as you suggest, it merely points out the position of SCC which is that they are seeking new locations for the existing users. It’s worth remembering that we are merely reporting the situation rather than making the case for or against the change from youth to health for the facility.

Sue Woodward
2 years ago

High-handed and unthinking County Council strikes again. Not a thought about the young people who use the services here or their families. Yes, we need a new health centre: it’s been talked about for years and promises haven’t materialised. But an extra week or so to allow the tenants time to let people know would have cost nothing.

As an aside, the County Councillor for Burntwood North suggested new-built premises for these groups. Where is he and his promises now?

Kim Wyatt
2 years ago

Ross
Thank you for responding I was just stating that it’s very vague as in the word short term tenants and there was no mention of what the centre is used for. I understand you are merely reporting what could happen however I personally feel the full story is much bigger than what has been reported on. This article only portrays one side of the story. I think it’s important for the public to know the negative affects on the community this is this going to impose not just the positives of a new health centre. Liberty jamboree has over 200 active members which are a mixture of children and young adults with SEN, disabilities and mental health issues. This is going to be a huge hit not just to the local community but to a much wider community and to many parents. This centre has been a life line to many young and adults and parents/carers. Also the centre is used by other groups including play groups for toddlers. I just think there is such a bigger picture to this story. I am speaking as a parent of a child that uses the centre. I look forward to hearing the councils response to where the charity will be relocated.

Thanks kim

Liam
2 years ago

Disgusted! Council should be ashamed of their selves!!

Lichfield Live
2 years ago
Reply to  Kim Wyatt

Hi Kim, thanks for your response. Part of the reason we value the comments on here is that it allows people to engage with the topic and potentially opens the door for more information to come to light. It’s also worth noting that issues will evolve, so you’ll hopefully have seen the other article we’ve run on the centre today in relation to the reaction of local councillors following the news being initially confirmed. They perhaps share your viewpoint on the way the county council has approached this.

The initial break of the story (this one) often evolves into the next follow up, and so on – and I’m sure this will be an issue we will revisit as further information and detail emerges, particularly in terms of what the fate of these valued community groups is.

Esther
2 years ago

Why do we have to lose a youth and community centre to get basic health provision? Why are they mutually exclusive. Are we not allowed both in Burntwood? This is a ludicrous position of SCC to think that Burntwood will think it is good news to lose YET ANOTHER community facility. Once this building and land is gone it’s gone and any rooms or use of another venue for the young people of our town is not guaranteed. Our elderly day service facilities were shut and bulldozed and land was sold by SCC at Oakdene to build houses on. There are plenty of opportunities for a solution to be found for a health centre without punishing and penalising the most vulnerable in our society. Absolutely ludicrous that this should be considered good news for Burntwood. We know full well that the building is well used by Liberty for young people, Fun Club, children’s groups and community groups and as a space for young people to get exercise through the soccer academy. Yet again SCC look for a cheap gain at a great cost to the local community. It’s a lazy and selfish plan. I urge everyone who values having community venues for people in Burntwood to make their thoughts known and to join Liberty in others in fighting for this community provision for Burntwood. And no-one should be fooled that young people will be provided with any decent alternative. We deserve better!

BigStephenS
2 years ago

You get what you vote for, a council at each level with an animosity towards any form of social provision, Garrick Theatre excluded!

Paul Taylor
2 years ago

@BigStephenS – You’ll find that a good number of the leading group of Councillor on Burntwood Town Council are heavily supportive of the social provision in Burntwood and the groups based at Cherry Close in particular.

RC
2 years ago

Plus there’s those who simply can’t be bothered to go out and vote whenever there’s an election and instead just sit with their heads buried in the sand with an indifferent ‘meh’ kind of attitude. But soon back to bemoaning austerity and hodge-podge management at local, regional and national levels.

Either way (also in reference to BigStephenS’s post), they reap what they sow!

Wendy Reece
1 year ago

In a meeting with a Staffordshire county councillor, a Lichfield council representative, Burntwood councillor Sue Westwood plus representatives of groups who use the Centre, including myself, the future of the building and grounds were discussed pre ‘lock down’. The possibility of a ‘New Medical Centre’ was raised and we were informed that the site would likely to be ‘opposite Aldi’. Leaving the remainder of the grounds in place for ‘the benefit of the local community’. There were also assertions that in no way would this land be used for anything else because Burnwood, Lichfield and Stafford Councils all agreed that ‘Burntwood was losing to many green spaces for the Community wellfare. When I asked if houses were likely to be built on it, I was told ‘No way’. After speaking with councillor Ennis last year it seems that Burntwood Council do not own either land or buildings. They therefore have little say in what happens in our town. Burntwood is still growing, with housing at least, has fewer amenities and shops that meet our needs than any other area around us and still we have no strength in planning our own future and needs. What does it take to change the system?