Voters back land sale for GP centre

A 14-YEAR search to find a use for an area of community-owned land has ended after almost 500 residents voted in favour of selling the site to make way for a medical centre.

Families were invited to take part in an official ballot over the future of the land off Nursery Lane, in Baddeley Green.

The results were announced at Baddeley Green Working Men's Club last night after what was described as an "outstanding" turnout by Stoke-on-Trent City Council officers, who supervised the vote.

The land is owned by Baddeley Green and Stockton Brook Residents' Association and reserved for community use after it was bequeathed to the group in 1949.

Discussions have been ongoing between the community and Stoke-on-Trent Primary Care Trust and Prime Plc after it offered £115,000 to buy the land to build a new GP practice, to replace the existing Baddeley Green surgery.

In total 570 votes were cast after about 2,000 ballot papers were sent out.

In all, 499 were in favour of the sale to the PCT with 54 against the proposal.

Five papers were spoilt and 12 were submitted too late.

Anthony Munday, association chairman, said: "I think it is the right solution. It is also a victory for residents as we have been trying to find a use for this land for 14 years.

"I cannot say what time frame the centre will be built in as it is still early days. The next stage is to set up a steering group of people who will have a say on the design of the building."

Betty Batigan, of Leonard Avenue, in Baddeley Green, said it was the right result.

She said: "It's what the village needs.

"We've been trying to find a use for the land for 14 years.

"We tried for a community centre, but it got turned down.

"It's good that it's going to be a surgery as there are lots of elderly people here. The land has just been standing idle."

Jackie Lawton, aged 48, of Regency Drive, Stockton Brook, said: "The ballot has been fairly done and we saw an overriding majority for the doctor's, but we're only at the first stage.

"We still need to discuss access to the land, road safety issues and how residents would like the building to be designed."

Dr Keith Tattum, of Baddeley Green Surgery, has been a keen supporter of the move to the new site in the past.

Dr Tattum, whose surgery is next door to the currently vacant land, has complained of the difficulties of looking after nearly 5,000 patients from his overcrowded practice.

It is expected the new doctor's surgery would improve and extend existing services, including a vascular well-being clinic, chiropody, and blood clinic which are already available for patients registered with the Baddeley Green practice and other medical centres.

It is hoped the sale will go through within six months.

The cash from the sale, along with £20,000 already saved by the group, will be put into a charitable trust with the interest given out as grants to good causes.