Work on a £3.2m doctors surgery in South Ham has reached an important milestone.
Foundation stones from the original St Andrew's Hall, the site of the new facility, have been removed for safekeeping. The stones were laid on June 29, 1955, thanking the main benefactors, the Joseph Rank Benevolent Trust and the Moullin family, Basingstoke Methodists.
The old hall is being demolished to make way for a surgery with seven consulting rooms, a dental practice and pharmacy. The surgery will be next door to a new Methodist church with community meeting rooms on the existing St Andrew’s Church site, at the junction of Western Way and Pinkerton Road.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council are investing the cash, and have been working with the local Primary Care Trust (PCT), doctors and residents on the project, which will replace the outdated and cramped surgery at Paddock Road and satellite surgery in Hatch Warren.
The council's cabinet member for finance and property, Councillor Ranil Jayawardena, visited the site to see the stones in place for the last time before they are cleaned and stored, ready to go back into the new building, alongside new foundation stones.
Cllr Jayawardena said: “It seems fitting that we are marking the history of this site as work starts to create 21st century facilities for local people. This project will make a real difference and demonstrates our continued commitment to communities across the borough. By investing this money we will also be making good use of our assets to help keep council tax low for all our residents.”
He was joined on his visit on August 5 by Aspire Dental Care's Rajani Koirala and Brenda Meakin, Deacon Ruth Yorke and St Andrews’ senior steward Maurice Scorey, the council’s project officer Brian Barrett, Dr Catherine Bayliss and Anne Phillips from South Ham and Hatch Warren Surgery and project manager John Clarke.
The project is due to be completed by summer 2012.
