Green light for new £3.5m health centre in town

Plans for a new £3.5m medical facility on the outskirts on Oakham have been approved.

Rutland County Council members voted to give the green light to the Medi-Tech centre, planned for Oakham Enterprise Park, with unanimous approval at a meeting on Tuesday night.

The government-funded building will serve as a day procedure hub, where minor surgeries like carpal tunnel treatment and vasectomies will be carried out.

The ground floor will host a raft of medical spaces including consultation rooms, theatres and recovery zones while MRI scanning will be provided for within a dedicated diagnostics pad.

Liberal Democrat councillor Raymond Payne told the meeting: "I think it's in all of our interests to get this through as we're all going to end up using it.

"I think this is a brilliant development, and something the county is crying out for.

"The advantages are so obvious that we should just pass it as quickly as possible."

Officials from the centre's future management organisation, Patient Care Locally (PCL), previously suggested the list of planned services was "very fluid" and more could be added in the future.

Once operational under PCL, Medi-Tech will function as a training hub for medical staff while accommodating researchers and other health technology businesses under one roof.

Christine Wise, leader of the Lib Dem-run county council, said the Medi-Tech Centre was "about supporting the health and care sector in Rutland and helping to bring more services closer to home".

The development will include 40 car parking spaces, bicycle parking spots, an ambulance drop-off area and space for a mobile MRI unit.

Electric vehicle charging and accessible parking will also be provided.

Construction is expected to begin in November before a planned opening date late next year.

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