A COUNCILLOR says awkward questions need to be asked over ongoing delays to a new health centre in Burntwood.
A planning application has yet to be put forward for the proposed development on the former youth centre site at Cherry Orchard, despite the land already being cleared and a temporary health and wellbeing facility at neighbouring Burntwood Leisure Centre being closed.
Reform UK’s Cllr Robin Hall, who represents Burntwood South at Staffordshire County Council, said he wanted to see “urgent action” to ensure the new centre was not hit by further delays.
But Labour’s Cllr Steve Norman, who represents Lichfield District Council on the county council’s health and care overview and scrutiny committee, said elected members needed to do more to ensure the wait did not go on any longer.
“At the district council we created a task group to look at the delay over the new health centre which patients and councillors were told would be open at the end of the year – but Lichfield District Council has still not received a valid planning application for the site.”
Cllr Norman said he also had concerns that a proposed Reform UK motion on the issue had been withdrawn from a recent meeting at Staffordshire County Council.
“The motion included reference to a public consultation to ensure transparency – but it’s that lack of public transparency that concerns me.
“I suspect councillors are being put off asking awkward questions, which is not unusual, but I don’t want to wait another month, let alone another year, for our promised health centre.”
