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Beccles health centre expansion to cost £4.2 million after East Suffolk Council funding approved




Funding was approved for the £4.2 million expansion of a town's health centre.

East Suffolk councillors were asked to commit the funding on Tuesday evening as a way of meeting a growing service deficit at Beccles Medical Centre, in St Mary's Road, near Lowestoft.

The project is for an extra nine consultation rooms, support spaces, a multi-purpose meeting and a training room for medical staff.

Beccles Medical Centre, in St Mary's Road. Picture: Google Maps
Beccles Medical Centre, in St Mary's Road. Picture: Google Maps

Councillors unanimously agreed to foot the £4.2 million bill in its entirety, with the money coming from its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) pot — developer contributions paid to councils for investment in local services.

The plans are expected to future-proof the practice until 2033, with some 1,250 homes to be built in the area.

It will enhance secondary services available to patients by welcoming more midwives, mental health practitioners and social workers.

The expansion will also allow for more vasectomy, minor surgery and long-acting reversible contraceptive appointments.

Cllr Caroline Topping, East Suffolk's leader, said she welcomed the expansion but said the health centre had to do something about parking.

She suggested that six large containers at the site could be removed to make space for extra cars.

"The residents of Beccles need to use that car parking," she said. "Otherwise this is just going to make the situation even worse."