Plans lodged for pharmacy in old community centre
7 minutes ago
Laura Devlin
A disused community centre sold off by a city council could become an expanded pharmacy.
Plans have been submitted to Peterborough City Council by Mohammed Taseen, who runs Walton Chemist in the city, to take over Walton Community Centre in Mountsteven Avenue.
It would mean moving from a small shop unit on the same street and turning the main hall and its kitchen into a pharmacy with private consultation rooms, seated waiting area and dispensary.
The community centre closed in 2019 and was disposed of by the city council under an assets review in October last year, witha view to its change of use as a pharmacy.
At the time, councillors heard the centre's use for meetings and social gatherings had reduced because they were being held elsewhere, but the costs of running the building continued.
They reflected its sale to Taseen would generate capital for the council as a result in "improved access to primary healthcare" for residents.
In a supporting letter to the planning officer, Walton's Conservative councillor, Alexander Rafiq, said the plans for several private consultation rooms were particularly welcomed.
"With increasing demands on GP surgeries and primary healthcare services, community pharmacies have an important role to play in improving access to healthcare and reducing unnecessary pressure on other parts of the NHS," he said.
A lack of on-site parking should be considered within the context of relatively short visits to the pharmacy compared with parking for community centre events, he added.
Separately, the manager of a nearby retirement complex confirmed the pharmacy's three staff could use its car park.
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