Health centre plans take shape

Artist's impression for new Brighouse Health Centre.

Developer Bill Ibberson has applied for planning permission for the access, appearance, scale, landscaping and layout of the scheme on the former Crowtrees Garage site at the junction of Mill Royd Street and Huddersfield Road.

As well as a health centre, there would be a care home on higher floors.

The application prepared said that jobs within the local community will be created with the opening of the care home, and further jobs will be provided by a shop associated with the health centre.

The development is to have a total of five storeys, one of which is the lower ground floor which is to be allocated for 73 car parking spaces.

The accommodation contained within the health centre and the care home, will be further developed once the number of doctor’s practices relocating into the new building are known and once the care home provider has been appointed.

The plans reveal that the building’s pedestrian entrance has been sited on the junction to create a feature focal point at the junction.

The entrance has a two storey curved glass screen recessed into the building, which will let people see what is happening in the building and allow views out from the first floor waiting area.

Outline planning permission was for the scheme was granted by Calderdale Council in 2013.

Planning officers said in their report the scale of building is in keeping with the scale of some existing buildings in the surrounding area.

“Millroyd Mill which is east of the site is eight storey, the Waterfront Lodge hotel to the north of the site is four storey and fronts onto Huddersfield Road, and to the west of the site there is Sugden’s Mill and the Old Flour Mills which are tall structures.

“The proposed development will front onto Huddersfield Road and will be prominent in the street scene, however buildings to the west of Huddersfield Road also front onto the street and it is therefore considered that the proposal would not be out of character with the area.

“It is considered that the proposal will not create any unacceptable environmental, amenity, safety, highway, or other problems.”