MORE information about the design for a wellbeing centre in the Gwendraeth Valley will be considered by Carmarthenshire County Council.
Reserved outline matters planning is being considered for land on Parc Maes yr Eithin, off Spine Road, Cross Hands, to be turned into a Cross Hands Health and Wellbeing Centre.
The initial application was submitted by Kevin Morgan of Hywel Dda University Health Board, where approval was being sought for access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale matters, which were reserved matters under an application approved by the council in December 2022.
The application was submitted to the council in August and a public consultation is now taking place, in relation to the plans.
The project is being led by the health board in partnership with Carmarthenshire County Council and Tumble and Penygroes GP practices.
More plans have now been revealed in terms of the design, with the aim to create an entrance that is ‘light, welcoming and engaging public space that is easy to navigate at the heart of the building.’
The report states that ‘conceptually the building will have a central, double height, multi-purpose space which engages with adjacent spaces to provide legibility, flexibility and create opportunities for community engagement. Landscaped courtyards and windows should be used to provide natural light and contact with the external environment wherever possible, and define a series of active and passive spaces within the building.’
In the plans, the services that are accessed daily will be located on the ground floor to make them easily accessible to patients, with support facilities, meeting rooms and multi-functional rooms on the first floor.
It is hoped that some of the rooms will be able to be used outside of the opening hours including counselling rooms, group activity rooms and meeting rooms.
The plans state that there will be a number of amenities including a patient/visitor information hub, children’s play area, baby changing facilities, buggy parking areas, library, third sector information area, open café/servery space, reception with shared area for each clinical team, training/seminar/group rooms, quiet rooms, a gym, relaxation rooms, office/admin zone, point of care treatment rooms and a wide range of treatment and clinical rooms, plenty of support rooms including storage.
There are also plans for it to be 24 hour access for community medical equipment and there will be level access for ease of those with disabilities or who are infirm and there will be gardens and outdoor amenities.
The building will be split into two, two-storey blocks.
More information about the plans can be viewed at www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/planningapplications and searching for the reference PL/06460. Comments can be made on the consultation until October 18 and must be done in writing at the above website, by emailing planningconsultations@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or by writing to Planning Services, Civic Offices, Crescent Road, Llandeilo, SA19 6HW. If using the latter two ways, the reference number must be included in the representation.
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