Islington Tribune - by MARK BLUNDEN
Published: 8 December 2006
Health centres mothballed
FOUR health centres which were due to provide much-needed GPs’ practices as part of the Arsenal stadium development have been mothballed through a lack of funding
The Tribune has learned that despite Arsenal paying what is believed to be hundreds of thousands of pounds to build the new centres, Islington’s Primary Care Trust (PCT) does not have the money to fill them with equipment or staff.
Under the club’s Section 106 obligations – where it provides community facilities – the buildings were to be provided as a “shell” for the PCT to “fit out”.
The four sites are in Hornsey Street, Queensland Road, Highbury Square (as part of the redevelopment of the old Highbury stadium) and Drayton Park.
Construction work at all the sites is ongoing except Queensland Road, which has yet to be started. The PCT blames a shortfall in government funding for its inability to fill the centres and decided to use its money to fund other practices close by.
A PCT spokeswoman said: “Because of pre-existing work to expand our primary care facilities across Islington, we decided that we could deliver high quality services without taking up the Arsenal relocation scheme offer.”
One of the Town Hall’s top planning officials called the news “terribly disappointing”.
There are more than 1,000 new homes being built as part of the Arsenal development, including a major development in Hornsey Street, but the sites could now become community centres instead of doctors’ surgeries.
Council planning chiefs have already been in discussions for using the buildings as such centres.
Theresa Debono, Labour councillor for Highbury West, has been campaigning for answers as to why the funding shortfall was allowed to happen.
She said: “I’m so disgusted about this. It’s like giving someone a gift that they can’t use. There was a Section 106 commitment from Arsenal that gives us an empty building we can’t use.
“It’s a shame that the council has not been astute enough that when it accepts and such an agreement that it’s not worth the paper it’s written on.
“I think people have to know what’s happening and that they’re not getting anything.
There’s thousands of people descending on the area when the building is finishes and not enough GPs to go round.”
Rachel Tyndall, chief executive of Islington PCT, said: “We currently have a large programme of building work, which will increase capacity in primary care for local people. In the last year we have opened two large primary care centres on Bingfield Street and Hanley Road and opened another off Holloway Road in October. We also have a brand new building on Laycock Street opening next year, and are working on plans to expand River Place and Finsbury Health Centres. All of our new facilities were chosen as they can provide extra space for more GPs and health services.
“Though we wanted to acquire more new facilities, many existing Islington GP practices are keen to grow their patient lists so we were satisfied that we could manage without the Arsenal premises.”
Published: 8 December 2006
Health centres mothballed
FOUR health centres which were due to provide much-needed GPs’ practices as part of the Arsenal stadium development have been mothballed through a lack of funding
The Tribune has learned that despite Arsenal paying what is believed to be hundreds of thousands of pounds to build the new centres, Islington’s Primary Care Trust (PCT) does not have the money to fill them with equipment or staff.
Under the club’s Section 106 obligations – where it provides community facilities – the buildings were to be provided as a “shell” for the PCT to “fit out”.
The four sites are in Hornsey Street, Queensland Road, Highbury Square (as part of the redevelopment of the old Highbury stadium) and Drayton Park.
Construction work at all the sites is ongoing except Queensland Road, which has yet to be started. The PCT blames a shortfall in government funding for its inability to fill the centres and decided to use its money to fund other practices close by.
A PCT spokeswoman said: “Because of pre-existing work to expand our primary care facilities across Islington, we decided that we could deliver high quality services without taking up the Arsenal relocation scheme offer.”
One of the Town Hall’s top planning officials called the news “terribly disappointing”.
There are more than 1,000 new homes being built as part of the Arsenal development, including a major development in Hornsey Street, but the sites could now become community centres instead of doctors’ surgeries.
Council planning chiefs have already been in discussions for using the buildings as such centres.
Theresa Debono, Labour councillor for Highbury West, has been campaigning for answers as to why the funding shortfall was allowed to happen.
She said: “I’m so disgusted about this. It’s like giving someone a gift that they can’t use. There was a Section 106 commitment from Arsenal that gives us an empty building we can’t use.
“It’s a shame that the council has not been astute enough that when it accepts and such an agreement that it’s not worth the paper it’s written on.
“I think people have to know what’s happening and that they’re not getting anything.
There’s thousands of people descending on the area when the building is finishes and not enough GPs to go round.”
Rachel Tyndall, chief executive of Islington PCT, said: “We currently have a large programme of building work, which will increase capacity in primary care for local people. In the last year we have opened two large primary care centres on Bingfield Street and Hanley Road and opened another off Holloway Road in October. We also have a brand new building on Laycock Street opening next year, and are working on plans to expand River Place and Finsbury Health Centres. All of our new facilities were chosen as they can provide extra space for more GPs and health services.
“Though we wanted to acquire more new facilities, many existing Islington GP practices are keen to grow their patient lists so we were satisfied that we could manage without the Arsenal premises.”
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