3 Cobridge Primary Care Centre
DRP117
The proposals for a Primary Care Centre in Cobridge initially came to design review in November 2008 and a radically redesigned scheme was represented in March 2009. An analysis of this process is included in last years Design Advisory Service Report (UVNS, 2009). Commissioned by NHS Stoke on Trent the new Health Centre in Cobridge will bring a number of health care facilities under one roof, offering a wider range of services to treat more people outside of hospital. First Review The scheme was initially reviewed at an early stage and, in a similar way to the Shelton Primary Care Centre over two years previously, the Panel welcomed the provision of the combined facility and the clean contemporary architecture but here were however major concerns over the appropriateness of the scale and massing of the proposed building and its location on the large block on the site. There was also concern over the location of the car parking which dominated the street frontage and did not place the church in a suitable setting. Second Review When the revised scheme was re-presented to Panel in March 2009 there was unanimous support for the way that the earlier recommendations had been responded to. The Panel were particularly supportive of the way that the new layout both repairs the street edge and places the church in an improved setting - aided by the evident use of an experienced landscape architect - and the relocation of a substantial amount of the car parking across Grange Street onto a newly acquired site. Overall Cobridge Primary Care centre provides a clear example of the benefits of early attendance at design review and a open and responsive attitude to the process. The revised scheme is more responsive to context and in the opinion of the panel manages to successfully “recreate a village centre for Cobridge�.
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