Since the last Newsletter a planning application (No. 08/00081/FUL) has been submitted for development of the site containing the car park, housing office and youth club at Parkville Road. The developer, Care Capital plc, had been looking at a number of possible sites for a medical centre to replace the doctors’ surgery in Stoneham Lane. The rise in land prices has made it almost impossible to simply build a GP surgery and it needs to be funded by making it part of a larger development. One possibility would have been a modest development on the carpark. However the City Council wants a “gateway building” which will impress people as they enter the city along Stoneham Way. This requires the demolition of the housing office and youth club. The planned building includes an impressive residential tower, a retail outlet, a medical centre, pharmacy and community space. There will be an underground 72 space car park. There will be residential units above the medical centre, but ownership of these will be retained to allow for possible future expansion of the centre.
The housing office will be transferred to the Burgess Road Library building which is going to be upgraded. So far, a suitable site has not been identified for the youth club. A condition is that a replacement for the youth club must be provided. There is concern that this may not materialise. If approved, building work will take about 2 years. Decision day is 29 April.