Kitto Developments Ltd secured this ½ acre former junior school site with prominent main road frontage, before offering it to local surgeries for a new build medical centre. Overnhill Surgery had been located for more than eighty years in a converted Victorian house in Staple Hill which was cramped with limited parking space. Dr Tim Coulson & Partners had concluded that a new modern medical centre was needed and also then proposed amalgamating with another smaller local practice Dr Langfield & Partners, for the move.
Working with the doctors’ representatives, the Kitto Development team prepared design proposals which met the practices aspirations including meeting the target budget of £2m. Planning permission for the new surgery was obtained and subsequently the Practice purchased the site from Kitto Developments Ltd and entered into a design and build contract with Kitto Construction Ltd for the new Christchurch Family Medical Centre.
The new building, which is partly three storey, accommodates on the ground floor eight consulting rooms (one per GP), including a dedicated room for the GP registrar. There are five rooms for practice nurses and one of the treatment rooms is equipped for minor operations. The scheme also included office space, toilets and meeting rooms, a 74m² on-site pharmacy operated by Boots, a private travel clinic and a dental suite. The external works included parking for 46 vehicles in a car park which was shared with the adjoining church. Kitto Joinery Ltd manufactured the bespoke joinery.
The project was completed two weeks early on the original contract programme of 46 weeks and within the original target budget.
