The NHS’s Community Diagnostic Centre, has started works on over 18,000 sq. ft. of space at Freshney Place Shopping Centre this week, with refurbishment works getting underway in preparation for a summer opening.
The new facility will provide the local community with better access to NHS services through its central location. Providing a range of non-urgent test facilities, including non-obstetric ultrasounds, electrocardiograms, and X-Rays. It is aimed to provide 150,000 additional health checks a year and will remove the need to attend acute hospital sites.
The addition of the CDC to Freshney Place emphasises the aspiration of the Council, to create a mixed use destination for the community, combining retail and leisure with services at the one site in central Grimsby. It also sets a precedent for other retail centres around the country, looking to develop a mixed use offering to help restore footfall in their own town centres.
Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “We’ve been working on this with the NHS for some months now, and I’m pleased work is going to start on creating this new facility for our residents.”
Amanda Austin, centre director at Freshney Place said: “The addition of the CDC to the centre sees Freshney Place become a multipurpose location. Combining retail and leisure with health, and other services is in step with our plans to become a community focused destination, offering greater convenience and accessibility. We’re confident that the addition of such services will continue to drive footfall and occupation levels up; it’s a new and welcome chapter in the shopping centre’s long history.”
Hoardings have been erected and the CDC will be located in five currently vacant units on Baxtergate, along with Boots, Waterstone, HMV and Costa. It is expected to open this summer.