An artist’s impression of how the surgery will look. Image credit: Corstorphine & Wright architects
A two-storey medical centre in Whitfield which will accommodate 15,000 patients has been approved by Dover District Council.
The surgery will be built on land between Arable Drive and Fair View Road and provide nine consulting rooms, two treatment rooms, two counselling rooms and a dispensary among its facilities.
Services normally provided within a hospital setting or other clinics could also be provided at the new building, freeing up facilities for specialist procedures.
The new surgery, which will be called Whitfield Medical Centre, will eventually replace the Whitfield Surgery located off Sandwich Road.
There will be 57 car parking spaces, including disabled and six electric parking spaces, as well as a cycle store.
The medical centre will add to the range of infrastructure being built to support Whitfield Urban Expansion.
Whitfield was identified in DDC’s Core Strategy as a location for major expansion with land allocated for the development of up to 5,750 homes.
To date, more than 170 homes have been built in the first phase and outline planning applications for more than 1,400 units, a 66-bed care home, health and social care centre, and retail space have been granted permission.
Building work is well underway on the next stage of Phase 1, which is known as Richmond Park off Archer’s Court Road. Developers are Barratt Homes, Halsbury Homes and Abbey New Homes.
Construction of Dover Fastrack – a rapid, zero-emission bus service – is also progressing, including a new road between the B&Q roundabout at Honeywood Parkway and Dover Road in Guston. Foundations for a new bridge over the A2 are also being installed.
Once completed, Dover Fastrack will connect the new housing at Whitfield with Dover town centre and Dover Priory train station.