Funding has been approved for a GP surgery in Wixams, a town development where residents have been living without local healthcare for 16 years. Bedford Borough Council has approved a business plan for the facility and allocated £5 million from its capital budget to the project.
Currently, around half of Wixams’ 3,000 residents must travel 14 miles round trip to Ampthill to see a doctor. Conservative councillor Graeme Coombes highlighted the challenge, saying some residents faced “five to six-hour bus journeys to see a doctor in Ampthill.”
A year ago, residents were warned they might have to wait another decade for a surgery. At that time, a report from NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (ICB) noted that “in excess of £5.5m Section 106 (S106) funding has been secured in principle towards the new facility” but added it “would not be available for an estimated five to 10 years.” Discussions were said to be “underway between them and both Bedford and Central Bedfordshire Councils around any potential to accelerate delivery of a facility in the context of significant financial constraints.”
The new plan will see a 900 sq metre building constructed on Loverose Way, with 50 parking spaces, potentially opening in early 2029. More than £4 million of the funding is expected to come from Community Infrastructure Levy payments, with the remainder from ICB and S106 contributions.
Councillor Coombes, representing Wixams and Wilstead, said he had been campaigning on the issue since 2011. He thanked residents for “holding our feet to the fire and making sure this gets ultimately delivered.”
The project is expected to move into detailed design and planning in 2026, with construction taking place from early 2027 to autumn 2028.
Wixams residents have also been waiting for a railway station for more than 20 years. A station could open as early as next year, and there are plans for it to be expanded to accommodate the proposed Universal theme park nearby.
