PLANNERS are being recommended to approve a controversial application by the NHS to build a new health and wellbeing centre in Teignmouth.

Teignbridge Council’s planning committee is due to meet on Tuesday, the same day at Devon County Council’s health and adult care scrutiny board discusses the future of the existing Teignmouth Hospital. 

District councillors are due to hold a site inspection at the Brunswick Street location on Monday, ahead of the meeting. 

The town centre site is owned by Teignbridge Council.

Proposals for the health and wellbeing centre have been in the planning for a number of years.

NHS bosses want to close the existing community hospital and create the new centre to provide a range of healthcare facilities.

Teignbridge Council officers are recommending the plans be approved but subject to a list of conditions. 

These include provision for highways works, road resurfacing and contaminated land ‘remediation’. 

Another condition is that there should be a restriction on the future changes of use of the health centre. 

A 2021 application for a five-storey centre was reduced to three storeys following concerns about the ‘unacceptable impact’ on the town. 

The current design is a building on the site of the existing car park with a two-storey ‘wing’ over Osmonds Lane. 

The NHS proposal is to provide reception space, waiting room, consulting rooms and treatment spaces.

The new building would provide accommodation for the charity Volunteering in Health along with space for administration, offices, a staff hub and interview spaces.

Further facilities would include digital self-help, space for group assessment and audiology. 

The ground floor of the building also includes a shopfront onto Northumberland Place. 

The two-storey wing would provide office and staff space at first floor level with car and cycle parking underneath. 

The car park would provide 23 car parking spaces including 4 disabled spaces as well as electric vehicle charging spaces.

Planning documents to members explain that the planning statement from the NHS includes details of the need for the new building and outlines the public consultation which was undertaken on a new and ‘integrated model of care’.

It states that health and wellbeing centres are ‘fundamental’ to the success of the Devon Integrated Care Model where new and purpose-built buildings are provided to house health and wellbeing services.

A report from planning officers says: ‘It is understood that Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust are leading this development on behalf of NHS and voluntary sector partners and that the proposed centre will accommodate Channel View Medical Group (the majority of GP services in the town) together with community nurses, social workers, well-being teams, therapists and lifestyle and prevention services together with voluntary sector services.’

There have been equal numbers of objectors and supporters to the application.