HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition calling for plans to redevelop part of Winklebury to be paused over concerns surrounding the future health care provision.

The Winklebury and Manydown Community Action Group (WMCAG) has launched the petition urging Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to freeze the planning process for the regeneration of the Winklebury Centre and Fort Hill.

Vivid has been working with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Hampshire County Council and the NHS to create the plan. The scheme includes 206 new homes, of which 40 per cent will be affordable; a large new community park at the former Fort Hill School site; a play facility; healthcare centre; and new local shops and small business space.

Last week the housing association hosted a webinar to share its final plans for the redevelopment.

Concerns were raised about the size of the medical hub and its ability to cope with the thousands of new homes planned for Manydown.

WMCAG chair Mark Peters said: “We have not made this decision lightly but after listening carefully to the concerns of residents, we felt we had no choice but to act.

“Vivid homes have failed to listen the needs of the residents and despite our repeated attempts to tell them that their plans for a new health centre lack ambition and falls embarrassingly short of the required standard.”

He continued: “The Vivid proposals will lead to a small health centre that doesn’t have the capacity to handle the existing needs of over 6,000 current Winklebury residents and fails to take into account the needs of the estimated 9,000 people that will move into the 3,500 homes that will soon be built on Manydown.”

It will be presenting the petition at a borough council meeting tonight (Thursday).

GP Matt Nisbet, Clinical Lead for Hampshire Southampton and the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We have considered a number of options in relation to Winklebury and welcome the opportunity the regeneration programme presents to create a modern, purpose-built health care facility in an area of need in Basingstoke for our patients.

“Our vision for Winklebury includes a significantly larger practice that will meet the needs of a larger community and ensures good value for money.”

To sign the petition go to change.of/BetterWinkleburyCommunitHealthFacilities.