Work is under way on construction of a long-awaited NHS medical centre which will provide a hub delivering specialist services to the growing communities in villages to the west of Hull.

Hobson & Porter has been awarded the contract for the project by Lovel Developments and started work this week.

The centre is a significant piece of the jigsaw at the 25-acre site in Lowfield Road, Anlaby, which has so far brought completion of 243 new homes as well as a clinic built by Hobson & Porter for the Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital and opened in 2016.

Lovel Developments, held its first consultation on the proposals for the wider site in 2014 and acquired the land the following year. But the initial proposals for the NHS facility date back 15 years, when health professionals first identified a need for more space.

Philip Lovel, Managing Director of Lovel Developments, said: “This has been on the agenda since around 2005. The idea for a new facility first gained approval from the Primary Care Trust in 2008 but they couldn’t find a suitable site.”

With land earmarked for the project as part of the Lowfield Road development, Willerby and Swanland Surgery put together a strategic case which was approved by the CCG in December 2018. Funding was finally approved by East Riding of Yorkshire NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in September 2020.

Mr Lovel said: “The new centre is designed to meet the need of the Harthill Primary Care Network for a hub which will enable them to bring in specialist services and better access, providing something that isn’t available elsewhere.

“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Hobson & Porter to build the centre having worked with them very successfully on the new facilities for Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital.

“Work has now started at the site and the building will be handed over in January 2022. By then we also hope to have started work on the final phase of land allocated for housing, which will provide up to 55 homes.”

Harthill Primary Care Network was established in 2019 to cover an area which includes Anlaby, Cottingham, Hessle, North Ferriby, Swanland and Willerby.

The new centre will be accessible by walking, cycling, public transport and car, with the main entrance at the rear, next to parking spaces for more than 30 vehicles. The ground floor will house six treatment or consulting rooms and a health education area. The first floor has nine consulting rooms for GPs and other health professionals as well as meeting rooms and space for support staff. Admin staff and the practice manager will occupy the smaller, second floor.

Joe Booth, Business Development Director for Hobson & Porter, said: “Health and social care has become a dominant sector for us in recent years and as a Hull-based business we are proud to be appointed to another project which will enhance the health facilities in the area.

“The last 12 months have thrown up some unique challenges in the construction sector yet it continues to demonstrate confidence and opportunity. You don’t have to travel far in the Hull and Humber area to pass a construction site and this is a great reflection of the significant contribution the property and construction sectors are making to the regional and national economy at a crucial time.

“This much-needed Health centre is one of many great local projects we have commenced in the last year and another which provides valuable opportunities within our local supply chain.”

We’re pleased to have completed a new phase of works for our valued long-term client JZ Flowers at Dianthus Business Park in Newport, East Yorkshire.

The project, which involved the construction of further distribution and packaging facilities, is the latest of multiple phases of works delivered for JZ Flowers, which is an international leader in flower distribution, with offices located across the world including Spalding Lincolnshire, Ireland, Holland, Turkey, and Miami.

Since 2009, we have completed a number of consecutive phases for JZ Flowers on a design and build basis, with total works valued at more than £12m. Our new-build development has created a single-site location acting as the firm’s UK headquarters and national packing and distribution centre.

Almost 10% of all bouquets sold in UK supermarkets originates from this site based to the west of Hull. The site currently comprises more than 3,400m2 of office space and almost 38,000m2 of factory space.

JZ Flowers approached us with pre-determined specifications and standards for state-of-the-art office accommodation to maintain modern working practices while combining this requirement with a creating professional and inspiring place to work.

Previous works at JZ have included new-build office accommodation, large, steel portal frame buildings, distribution and packing lines, dock leveller pods, large hardstanding areas, parking, landscaping and drainage.

Richard Hunter, Managing Director of Hobson & Porter, said: “We’re really pleased to be continuing our long-standing relationship with JZ Flowers, having now developed this latest phase of the company’s impressive facility here in East Yorkshire. We’ve worked continuously with the client and architect to develop this scheme and set the standards for continued expansion throughout the various phases.”

Richard added: “The development of a collaborative relationship with JZ flowers has been testament to our commitment to value and continuous improvement, consistently challenging our work and embracing technological developments and new construction products. This project is a great example of our capabilities in the manufacturing and distribution sector and one we’re proud to be continuing to deliver.”

Jelle Zwemstra, Founder of JZ Flowers, said: “We’re delighted to see the completion of this latest phase of works at our facility at Dianthus Business Park.

“We selected to work with Hobson & Porter because they share our commitment to innovation, quality and value for money. We’re also delighted to be working with a local business and supporting local labour.”