Recent meetings between Liberal Democrat Cllr Ian Shires and New Invention Health Centre’s lead GP are beginning to show results.

That part of the site fenced off for potential future development has been enclosed with a high close board fence reducing the derelict appearance of the Centre and reducing its impact on local residents and the street scene. Further talks are planned to discuss the future of the site.

Ian had asked for a meeting to highlight local concerns identified by responses to the Lib Dem FOCUS Summer Survey. regular readers of this blog will recall that Liberal Democrat Cllr Doreen Shires had raised concerns about the Cannock Road Centre at a meeting earlier this week of Walsall Council’s Health and Social Care Scrutiny Panel.

Plans to build a new Health Centre on the site were first mooted back in 2006. The financial crisis of 2008 prevented progress being made and led to a rescue bid imposed by the NHS earlier this year. Recent feedback has been more positive about the service provided by the practice but people remain very concerned about the condition of the ageing building.