Plans for a new health centre which will serve more than 13,000 Oldham residents have moved a step closer.

Proposals for a three storey primary healthcare facility on vacant land at Westway in Shaw were approved by the Shaw and Crompton Parish Council at the Parish Council’s Planning Committee on Tuesday (September 27).

The proposal is being led by the Oak Gables Partnership and the Village Medical Practice, which are both based in Crompton Health Centre.

Funding for the centre on the former Shaw Baths site, had been confirmed by the borough’s clinical commissioning group (CCG) in December last year.

However, in April the CCG had told a GP partner it was "withdrawing" its support of the development due to increases in ‘costs and inflation’ triggered by the pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine.

But by June it had announced that it was committed to bringing the project forward, with Mike Barker, the accountable officer saying they had a "new deal which is fantastic news for patients and the local area".

An application has now been submitted by United Healthcare Developments Ltd to Oldham Council to build a new health facility.

Speaking at the Parish Council’s Planning Committee on Tuesday, Crompton councillor Louie Hamblett, who is also the Shadow Cabinet member for Health and Social Care, said: “The main priority is to get spades into the ground by March 2023 and as a community we need to get behind this as much as possible.

“The submission of a planning application for our new health centre is great news for Shaw and Crompton and further evidence this is happening this time. Access to modern healthcare facilities is a top priority for the people we represent.

“What we’ve had is a long and uncertain journey to this point over many years but by working constructively, local Liberal Democrat councillors, have now helped it get across the line. We continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure the new health centre becomes a reality for residents.

“This news is very welcome indeed and is a poke in the eye for those who talk our area down and said it would never happen.”

The planning committee voted unanimously in favour of the application.