A BURNTWOOD councillor says the town needs answers over a new health facility in the town.
The temporary health and wellbeing centre at Burntwood Leisure Centre closed earlier this year having originally been granted planning permission in 2008, only for that to be extended a number of times.
But with no sign of planning consent yet being sought for a replacement, Cllr Steve Norman, chair of Lichfield District Council’s overview and scrutiny committee, said answers were needed.
“Burntwood had a temporary health and wellbeing centre, but that has now closed and there is still no planning application submitted for its permanent replacement after 16 years.
“In 2014 permission was sought and granted up to 30th September 2019. And in 2019 another five years were granted up to 30th September 2024.
“At the end of each of these dates the planning condition states that ‘the building shall be removed and the land cleared and reinstated’.
“I have tabled a question for next the council meeting asking how many times temporary permission can be further granted and asking for three examples where this has happened more than twice for an application in Lichfield district?”
The closure of the temporary health and wellbeing centre in Burntwood sparked protests from local residents and councillors.
Back in March, a representative from the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board told a meeting of the council’s overview and scrutiny committee that the buildings at the site would remain until the end of the current contract to be used for other functions such as administrative functions.
The new permanent health centre has been earmarked for the former Burntwood Youth Club site at Cherry Close, but no planning application for the development has been submitted yet.