THE STROUD MEDICAL CENTRE is on track to reach its target of an autumn opening, the company which is undertaking the construction, has revealed. 

At the SNJ, we were invited to have a tour of the building which is currently under construction in King Street.

You can see 33 pictures of the progress here. 

The £6.5 million town centre medical centre – which will be the new home of Locking Hill Surgery and Stroud Valleys Family Practice - is on the old Poundland and Woolworths.

In recent weeks, the building firm PDR tasked with constructing the medical centre went into administration, causing doubt on the progress of the build. 

Retail property director Andrew Malley of Dransfield Properties however told the SNJ:“The aim is still to open in the autumn time.

“The consulting rooms will be NHS standard.

“It will be flooded with natural light, people will be able to have appointments without being overheard or overlooked.

“There will be a solar farm on the roof which will provide most of the energy.

“No fossil fuels will be used in the building.

“The car park will entail one and a half hours of free parking, meaning residents can go to the town after visiting the centre.  

“It will bring patients to the town centre who will use the shops and services in the town.

“We think around 5,000 a week would visit the Stroud town centre (because of the medical centre).

“There will be different access points to the building – front door, mall, car park - making the building very accessible, as well as being near the bus station, train station and a taxi rank.

“It will also have a 30-person stretcher lift.

“Stroud Regeneration Company, owned by Dransfield properties, picked up all of the contracts when PDR recently went into administration.

“Work at the medical centre never stopped.

“Everyone has been paid and all contracts were honoured by Dransfield properties.

“One of the reasons for the centre is to take medical care into the twenty first century.

“It will also account for future population growth and attract student doctors.

“The Stroud Medical Centre will also be attractive for graduate students to work here too.”