At the start of October, Labour District Councillor for Abney, Eyam, Grindleford and Hathersage, Cllr Peter O’Brien, wrote to the Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust Trust to ask them for an update on the progress of the ‘Health Hub’ on the Newholme Hospital site in Bakewell which was expected to be completed this winter.

The NHS Trust were given £8.58m by the Department of Health and Social Care in December 2018 to create the ‘Health Hub’, however, little apparent progress has been made. Earlier in 2018, the Hospital had been under threat of closure. This was halted following a successful community led campaign, with the Bakewell branch of Derbyshire Dales Labour Party playing a leading part.

Due to the pandemic, the NHS Trust confirmed that the planning and processes of building the Hub had been disrupted and delayed.

Though the NHS Trust didn’t provide any new time scales for the Hub’s completion, responding to Cllr O’Brien’s letter, they said they “remain totally committed to ensuring this project, to provide brand new health facilities in Bakewell, is realised as soon as possible”.

They also stressed the need for sensitivity, to get the building right for the location, as well as fit the health needs of local people.

The Trust also gave Cllr O’Brien the following updates:

• The project control board, service users, technical group, design team and stakeholder group meetings are still taking place, but remotely.
• There have been significant design revisions made to the project, reducing the scale to a two-storey building and utilising roof space in some areas.
• The Peak Park Planning Authority has received a comprehensive pre-planning pack with current design options – which has been positively received.
• The schedule of accommodation has been reviewed to refine public and patient areas.
• The business case for the Hub is to be revised and submitted to NHS England once planning timelines are known, and design and costs are confirmed.

The NHS Trust also confirmed that they will be planning further public engagement, which they hope will coincide with the planning application being submitted.

Commenting on the NHS Trust’s response, Cllr O’Brien said, “It’s frustrating that so little progress has been made with the new ‘Health Hub’ for Newholme, after the local community were promised it would be completed this winter. Nevertheless I am looking forward to a planning application being submitted in December, and hopefully seeing the existing buildings being converted into much needed new housing – which I will be pressing to ensure it is affordable for local people.”