Clackmannanshire Council Online

Community Hospital Moves a Step Closer

Planning permission for the county's new community hospital and health centre has been granted.

The £20 million proposals came before councillors at today's meeting of the Regulatory Committee.

The Clackmannanshire Community Health Project, which is due to open at the end of 2007, will be based on the site of the former Sauchie Hospital at Parkhead Road and on land at Hallpark, where Glen Alva Mill was formerly based.

Committee Convener Councillor Eddie Carrick said: "I am delighted that the people of Clackmannanshire are soon to benefit from a modern community hospital, providing care closer to people's homes. The local population is growing and developing at a rapid pace and the replacement health centre will play an important part in preventing as well as treating ill health in the local community."

The hospital will provide in-patient and day services for the county's 49,000-strong population, while the health centre will replace Alloa Health Centre and see up to 800 patients a day.

Head of Development Services Stephen Bell added: "The Council has worked closely with NHS Forth Valley and their partners Robertson Construction on a joint development brief for this site to come up with a plan which makes best use of the combined sites. This has been an intensive and productive exercise and ensured that a critical element of regeneration for Clackmannanshire has emerged from a planned development approach."

The three-storey health centre will include:

• Three GP practices (16 GPs)
• Community nursing services
• Treatment room services
• Chiropody, dental, physiotherapy
• Out-patient clinics and
• Pharmacy services.

The Community Hospital will include:

• 45 in-patient beds for physically frail older people, mentally frail older people, including provision for intermediate care and rehabilitation, palliative care and continuing care of those with complex needs.
• 40 day services places for older people and people with mental health problems.
• A base for the community mental health teams and other community services.
• A base for Social Work teams

The design of the new building is based on a campus style, where there are a number of linked buildings on the upper part of the site providing ground floor access to buildings.

Public access to the hospital and health centre will be via Hallpark, while staff, disabled users and emergency vehicles will use a second entrance off Parkhead Road. The site will have 250 parking space, including 225 for the public to use.

The mixed leisure route from Alloa to Tillicoultry, which runs through the site, will be retained and improved. The development will also lead to significant infrastructure improvements at Hallpark and Fairfield Road and the installation of streetlighting, CCTV coverage and public art along the mixed leisure route.