Dental surgery hope to fill gap

AN AREA of ground on Ashton Road, Oldham, could be used to build a new dental surgery.

But because it is public open space, the change has to be advertised in case there are objections.

The land, 1,000 metres square, on the corner of Charleston Close, is opposite the new Honeywell community centre.

It will be used to relocate the Central Oldham Dental Practice from the Marjory Lees Health Centre in Horsedge Street, Oldham, which is due to come down in 2009. The land is in the Fitton Hill and Hathershaw New Deal for Communities area, where there is a shortage of dentists.

The site used to have houses on it, and Oldham Primary Care Trust has grant money for the surgery, while the owners have planning permission.

However, it has been designated a potential public open space in the council’s local needs assessment document, so managers have decided it must be advertised.