MP Welcomes victory in Sedbergh health battle

MP Tim Farron has paid tribute to the community of Sedbergh, Dent and Garsdale and to Sedbergh's doctors after the proposal for a new health centre was approved today by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

After a long nine month campaign, the Planning Committee of the National Park finally approved the proposal which would see a the new health centre and a convenience store set up on the auction mart site in the town.

An original proposal had been turned down in December after which Tim Farron brought together all sides in the dispute to thrash out a way forward in January. Three weeks ago the GPs called a public meeting that Tim Farron chaired which concluded in a unanimous community endorsement of the new proposal.

Things were looking positive until yesterday when it emerged that of the 52 conditions attached to the approval of the proposal by the National Park, many were so restrictive that they would have prevented the new health centre being built. Mr Farron fired off an eleventh hour plea for those restrictions to be removed and, thankfully, the National Park planning committee agreed to this request.

Tim Farron said "The community deserves huge praise for their concerted efforts to see the new health centre built - this is a real victory for the people of Sedbergh, Dent and Garsdale, and their success should be an encouragement to many other rural communities in our area. The GPs also deserve huge credit for their determination and tenacity. Finally, I would like to thank the National Park for listening to us and for doing the right thing today."