The Medical Centre project, which started in 2006, has faced serious delays and obstacles but councillors remain determined to deliver the project within the tight timescales placed upon them.
Cllr Frank Keegan explained "I am going to knock myself out to deliver this project for the benefit of 7,000 patients. Why? Because the community needs a fit-for-purpose health centre, and it is the role of the local Councillor to protect community facilities."
Planning permission to build a new Medical Centre at the front of the Festival Hall was approved in August 2012, but work has yet to start because the internal design and specification have not been approved.
Cllr Matthew Lloyd, Chairman of Alderley Edge Parish Council (AEPC) explained "A detailed specification was drawn up under the watchful eye of the PCT.* However it recently transpired that, despite NHS oversight of the process, the specification requires amendments to be compliant with NHS requirements for such a facility.
"The design of this new detailed specification is a now obviously of high priority."
Following planning approval, Alderley Edge Medical Practice obtained a grant of £500,000 from the Regional Health Authority towards the cost of the building, which was subject to them having the building well underway by 1st April 2013.
As the timescales were not met, doctors needed to reapply for this grant and they have now received confirmation that the grant has been approved, although there are tight timescales attached to the award. Specifically, there is a condition that the building would need to be completed and ready for occupation by March 2015.
Speaking at this month's Parish Council meeting Dr Thompson said "We're very fortunate to get the funding, I think there is one other project that's secured a similar sort of funding but it is not going to be on the table for very long and if there are any delays it could be whipped away at short notice. The half a million pounds make the project possible and if that half a million pounds is withdrawn then the project's not viable."
In addition to producing an agreed design specification, Alderley Edge Parish Council needs to submit a formal application for funding, through prudential borrowing, from Cheshire East Council. As part of this process they need to submit a business plan.
Cllr Matthew Lloyd said "The application process includes the need for a business plan to be written in support of the application, which again is now of some urgency given the timescales associated with the NHS funding."
He added "Both the development of the revised (internal) design and specification of the medical centre and the drafting of the business plan in support of the prudential borrowing are expensive exercises. The Parish Council is currently working to fully understand the processes required to fulfil both these requirements and the appropriate financial responsibilities. As stated repeatedly, it is the Parish Council's duty to work to minimise any financial risk of the project and this over-riding responsibility must be balanced with the time pressures brought to bear due to the conditions attached to the NHS grant to the general practice.
"To summarise, the Parish Council continues to work determinedly, with Alderley Edge General Practice, to ensure the new medical centre is brought to fruition; but clearly we have to work within the constraints of both CEC and the NHS regarding access to the necessary funding."
Alderley Edge Parish Council are working on the revised specification and a business plan to enable them to borrow the money to fund the building of the new medical centre, however, the Medical Practice have not signed a lease committing them to take the building when it is complete.
Ward councillor Frank Keegan, who has been working on this project since 2006, explained "The deal which the NHS want is: build a Medical Centre, if we like it we will ask the District Valuer to suggest an annual market rent, and if we like the suggested annual rent we might sign a lease. For good measure they add: if you don't complete the process by 31 March 2015, then the deal is off."
Cllr Keegan added "The Parish Council is being asked to risk up to £2.4m, without the certainty of an income at the end of it (lots of things can delay a project beyond 31 March 2015); the NHS has risked nothing, and even the capital allocation will only take effect on their notional timetable."
Cllr Keegan also confirmed that "If the current proposals do not proceed, there is no Plan B."
We hope to keep you informed as work on the Medical Centre project progresses.
*PCTs (Primary Care Trusts) were abolished on 31 March 2013 as part of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
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