South Derry contractor Henry Brothers Construction and Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust have jointly held a turf-cutting ceremony to mark the start of work getting under way on site for a new £15 million hub for community health services at Belper in Derbyshire.
The event was attended by representatives from Henry Brothers and the Trust, including its chief executive Tracy Allen.
She said: “Back in 2017 we first started talking publicly about the need for new community health facilities for Belper and it’s been a long and eventful seven years to reach this point, involving several changes of plan and a pandemic which put everything on hold.
“So to be able to put the first ceremonial spade in the ground to start construction is a really fantastic moment. It’s a tribute to the many people who have helped us reach this point. I can’t wait to see the architect’s plans come off the page as the building takes shape and becomes a purpose-designed environment for local people to receive a range of community health services for years to come.”
The facilities – designed to have high environmental credentials to ensure long-term sustainability – are being built on the site of the former Belper Clinic, as part of the Babington Hospital site on Derby Road, Belper.
Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust recently commissioned Midlands-based contractor Henry Brothers to deliver the new building over a planned construction phase of 66 weeks. It is being delivered through the Pagabo Major Works Framework.
John Sowter, design and planning director at Henry Brothers Construction, said: “We are very pleased to have started work on site, marking a key milestone in the mission to provide new state-of-the-art community health services in Belper.”
The health hub will feature 15 consulting rooms, six treatment rooms, a health education group room and other facilities, and will provide a range of services including community nursing, midwifery clinics, podiatry services, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, continence advisory service, wound care and phlebotomy.
Other members of the construction team alongside Henry Brothers include project manager Capita, civil and structural engineer Eastwood Consulting Engineers, and mechanical and electrical engineers EP Consulting.
Henry Brothers Construction, based in Nottingham, is part of the Henry Group (www.henrybrothers.co.uk), which comprises a number of manufacturing and construction sector companies, ranging from external construction through to interiors fit-out.
