Rural GP Surgery Expansion Plans Approved After Eviction

Plans for the growth of a rural general practitioner surgery have been approved, following the practice’s eviction from its previous premises.The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) has given Oakbank Surgery Limited the authorization to develop a new surgery in Haverthwaite, located near Ulverston, Cumbria. Haverthwaite Surgery was required to vacate its rented site in nearby Backbarrow last November, subsequent to a proposed 65% increase in its rental lease agreement.The surgery temporarily moved into Oak Bank, a detached home, and now a privately-funded practice is set to be constructed on land adjacent to it to “future-proof” it. Planning documents indicated that the surgery serves approximately 3,000 patients in “hard-to-reach” areas of western Windermere and Coniston, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.They also noted that it would establish a “much-needed” hub for “an ever-increasing rural population”. The “environmentally friendly” building is planned to include a community space for wellbeing, mindfulness, and yoga classes, as shown in the planning documents. A report prepared by LDNPA planning officers stated that it “would ensure the continuation of an important community facility”.