Green Party

Local residents in New Costessey are protesting about plans to close their medical surgery on Valley Road.

Costessey Medical Practice is conducting a consultation on its plans to close its existing surgeries on Longwater Lane and Valley Road and replace them with a new facility at the old Roundwell pub site at the top of Longwater Lane.

New Costessey residents, Green Party Councillors and the Vice Chair of Costessey Parish Council are gathering outside the surgery this Saturday to protest against the proposed closure. They are also urging other residents to respond to the consultation before it closes on 28th September.

 Adrian Ramsay, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Norwich South, which includes New Costessey, said: "I support the building of the new facility to replace the existing surgery on Longwater Lane. However, I am very concerned about the proposal to close the Valley Road surgery at the same time as it will leave people at the Norwich Road end of Costessey without a local surgery. Dozens of residents have expressed concern to me about the proposed closure. For people without access to a car, it's a long way for patients in the Woodhill Road and Norwich Road area to the Roundwell site. It's crucial that these services are available locally and within walking distance for as many people as possible."

John Amis, Vice Chair of Costessey Parish Council, added: "It is essential that we keep the Valley Road surgery open. There are lots of older people in this area who can't get to the Roundwell site. We successfully fought last year to keep the New Costessey Post Office open. To me, this is just as important."

Representatives from Costessey Medical Practice have argued that the current Valley Road surgery is 'not fit for purpose'. But Green Party Councillor Ruth Makoff argues that it could be renovated. She said:

"The Valley Road surgery could be adapted to make it wheelchair friendly and a bit bigger. All the options for keeping a facility in New Costessey need to be investigated. Costessey Medical Practice has not even provided information on the costings of keeping the surgery open, compared to the costs of the new building, as part of this consultation. The Valley Road surgery is providing a crucial service, and I'm not convinced enough has been done to keep it open."

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