WORK to develop a wellness village with homes and a new health centre in Bridgend will re-start this month, after more than three years of being on hold.
The development, known as the Sunnyside Wellness Village will be built on the site of the council’s former Sunnyside offices and magistrates’ court, which were demolished in 2015.
It will see the creation of 59 affordable homes as well as a three-storey health centre containing a GP practice, community dental services, and a pharmacy, based on land near the town centre.
It will also be based near Park Street Bridgend, the road considered to be the most polluted in Bridgend County Borough which has previously been described as having nitrogen dioxide levels that exceeded annual averages.
The work will be led by Linc Cymru, alongside Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Bridgend County Borough Council and the Welsh Government, with a completion date for the health centre set for 2025, followed by the homes a year later in 2026.
The long-term project had previously ground to a halt in 2021 after the contractor who was employed to carry out the work went into administration. However a new contractor, Wynne Construction, has now been brought in, with work expected to start in the coming weeks.
Once completed the healthcare centre will become home to the Bridgend Group Practice, currently located at Ashfield surgery and Newcastle surgery, with its patients transferred.
It will also become the home of a number of other services such as mental health, sexual health, and community and dental pharmacy services which are currently being delivered at Quarrella Road and Bryntirion.
Speaking on the plans councillor Rhys Goode said: “I am delighted to see that work is restarting on the development of this new community facility. Once completed, this high-profile site is going to offer 59 much-needed affordable homes, a healthcare centre with consultation and treatment rooms, a GP practice, a specialist dental unit, a pharmacy and other facilities that will support the development of a vibrant, sustainable community within the town centre area.”
Julie Denley, director of primary care for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board added: “We are delighted that we can now progress work on Sunnyside, and remain committed to creating a first-class wellness hub and primary care facility for the community.”
A group of independent councillors who represent the Bridgend Central ward, including Steven Bletsoe, Timothy Wood, and Steven Easterbrook also released a joint statement this week that said: “We are glad to see the building work restarting at Sunnyside after the problems caused with the collapse of the original contractor. We know that Linc have worked hard to get this back on track, but residents living around the area are fed up with the problems that have befallen the project.
“They now just want the houses and wellness village finished with the minimum disruption and planning conditions adhered to. We as the local councillors will work on behalf of the residents at all times to represent their views.”
