The completion of the car park at Horwich Health Hub can continue at a cost of around £1 million after the approval of further funding.

The health hub is to be the home to two GP surgeries and a number of other services after the completion of the construction last month.

The developer is United Healthcare Developments Ltd (UHDL) but, as a result of an agreement with the council, it is the local authority which is responsible for some of the parking spaces to be used by Horwich Health Hub as well as its next-door neighbour Horwich Leisure Centre. The local authority approved a budget of around £850,000 for these parking spaces.

However the car park looks likely to cost around £1 million in an increase of around 15 per cent as the access road between Horwich Health Hub and Horwich Leisure Centre is not fit for purpose.

Cllr Akhtar Zaman, the cabinet member for regeneration, approved further funding at a meeting on September 10 in the face of questioning from Cllr David Grant, the leader of Horwich and Blackrod First.

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Cllr Grant said: "I am OK with it because it is Bolton money [not Horwich money] but I have a duty to the taxpayer. I have had a contractor in and he thinks £5,000 per parking space is shocking.

"The access road is the same and the vehicles are the same as one year ago or two years ago."

(Image: Newsquest)

Paul Whittingham, an assistant director of place, said: "It is more than taking some land and putting tarmac on it and putting white lines on it.

"It is not like we went to Caddick Construction and they added 50 per cent onto the bill. I don't know your contractor but the cost is right."

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The health hub is to be the home of two GP surgeries, Market Surgery and Pike View, and a number of other services by Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

The GP surgeries were set to start at the site last month and the other services were set to start at the site this month.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.