Sale of land on Wellingborough industrial estate for new diagnostic centre approved
A Northamptonshire council has approved plans to sell land on a town’s industrial estate for a new medical centre to serve the entire county.
North Northants Council (NNC) has been in discussions with the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Group (which encompasses both Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals) over the development of a new medical centre, due to open in 2028.
Under the proposals, an undeveloped site owned by the council on Wellingborough’s Park Farm Industrial Estate could come forward to deliver a Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) and an Elective Orthopaedic Hub.
According to NNC, the site off Booth Drive was deemed ‘surplus’ by the authority earlier this year.
It was identified as ideally located close to the border between the two Northamptonshire authorities, and with a similar travelling distance between the county’s two general hospitals.
Despite its central location, concerns were raised by some councillors at an executive meeting today (Tuesday, August 11) about the accessibility of the site for people who do not have a car and rely on public transport.
Cllr James Towns, who was elected to represent the Greens in his Kettering ward, told the council chamber that there was no weekday bus service directly to the industrial estate other than during rush hour periods. He said other nearby bus services, such as those in Shelley Road, would leave patients with a 10 to 15-minute walk to the centre.
Council reports state that the CDC would be operating 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and deliver more than 50,000 tests per year to people across the county.
Cllr Towns said: “Realistically, travel will mostly be by car.
“For those that do not drive, lifts can be inconvenient to arrange and taxis are far too expensive for many.
“If a diagnostic centre is to be built on this site and provide care close to home in an accessible location for the community, it needs to be provided with a good, frequent bus service.”
Northampton town councillor Taylor Cowley-Coulton (Conservative), said the new centre was an ‘amazing opportunity’ for the whole of Northamptonshire, but also raised concerns about current transport links to the site needing improvement.
He said: “This makes now exactly the right time to put down the marker about an issue that will have to be addressed as the project develops – how will patients actually get there?
“Patients do not conveniently arrange their illnesses around morning and evening rush hour. What happens to someone coming from the eastern side from my own ward in Northampton? What happens to a pensioner who doesn’t drive?
“These are not reasons to reject the disposal; they’re reasons to get the infrastructure right now rather than discovering a problem after millions of pounds have been spent.
“The facility may sit in North Northants, but the people relying on it will not stop at an invisible line. Northamptonshire deserves better than first-class healthcare infrastructure served by second-class transport infrastructure.”
Cllr Ken Harrington, North Northamptonshire Council’s executive member for assets, said: “We must remember that this is for the whole of Northamptonshire. It has to be somewhere that is easily accessible – which it is, I know the area extremely well.”
Responding to the public transport queries, NNC’s executive highways member Cllr Chris McGiffen said he would commit to reviewing the bus provision for the site.
According to council documents, the new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) will include four endoscopy suites, two magnetic resonance imaging scanners, two computed tomography scanners, one plain X-ray room, one ultrasound room, and additional consulting rooms to support other specialist tests.
The UHN also intends to establish an Elective Orthopaedic Hub in Wellingborough to deliver routine procedures such as hip and knee replacements for patients across Northamptonshire. It is expected this will support shorter waits for surgery, fewer last-minute cancellations and more efficient use of NHS staff and theatres.
Though the sale was approved unanimously by the executive, the NHS will still need to apply for planning permission and take forward detailed plans for approval.
Executive member for health, Cllr Brian Benneyworth said: “The facility will provide faster access to diagnostic tests, reduce waiting times for treatment and support early diagnosis of serious conditions, and it will help improve outcomes for patients across our communities.
“It is an investment in the future health and wellbeing of our residents and demonstrates what can be achieved when local government, the NHS and wider partners work together towards a shared goal.”
The sale of the site will generate a capital receipt for NNC of more than £1 million that will be used to fund its capital programme.