A COUNCILLOR is demanding answers over delayed plans to build a new medical centre.

Land has been allocated for a shared GP surgery on the site of the former Premdor factory to serve residents in Sible Hedingham, Castle Hedingham and Great Yeldham.

Bloor Homes is building 193 homes on the site and was legally obliged to leave a quarter of a hectare for a health centre.

But no public statements have been made by the NHS or local GPs about the centre since last November.

Jo Beavis, district councillor for the Hedinghams, has written to NHS bosses to ask whether progress has stalled.

She said: “We are just feeling that the NHS have gone silent on this. I do think things are going on but for some reason we, at a local level, aren’t being kept in the loop.

“We formed a stakeholder group last year, which was just to get the Hedinghams and the Yeldhams together because we are the areas it’s going to affect.

“We did have some representation from the NHS at that meeting in November and they told us that they were working together with the practice managers to put together what they call a Project Initiation Document.”

In May, the Gazette asked the NHS what stage the plans were at.

Carole Theobald, locality director for NHS England, said the organisation was still “awaiting further information from the practices”.

This week, the Gazette contacted them again and was sent an identical statement.

Mrs Beavis said: “I think the real problem is the practitioners just want to practice.

They are not experts in building.

“We need to keep pushing and making lots of noise. It’s all about money at the end of the day and this rural location is desperately needed.

“The facilities are crumbling, the district is growing.

If we are not careful, that development is going to be built and they will move on.

“I just want to get something in writing.”

Dr Bill Littler, of the Castle Surgery, in Castle Hedingham, is the appointed spokesman for the three GP practices involved.

The Gazette contacted his surgery twice but the call was diverted to the Hilton House surgery, in Sible Hedingham, which said Dr Littler could not respond because it was not an emergency