John Lewis flats will overwhelm GPs, NHS says

If plans are approved, construction is expected to start in 2026

Plans to build hundreds of flats in a town centre risk overwhelming GP surgeries, NHS officials have warned.

John Lewis Partnership is awaiting planning permission to turn a former warehouse on Mill Lane, Reading in Berkshire, into 215 rental homes, which will house up to 614 people, in a mix of one, two and three-bed flats.

The health service said local doctors were already too stretched to cope with an influx of new patients.

A spokesperson for John Lewis Partnership said: "Our priority is ensuring our proposals directly support the local community."

The NHS's opposition was laid out in a letter to local planning officials, which said: "None of the GP practices in the local area would have the capacity to accommodate new patients generated from the proposed development."

The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB), which is the NHS body responsible for running local hospital trusts, said nearby GP practices were already over capacity.

The BOB ICB said it had secured a site for a new healthcare facility near to the development.

However, it said it needed an extra £185,000 to help open the site.

Discussions are ongoing between John Lewis and officials to potentially plug this gap.

John Lewis Partnership said: "Having been a committed part of the Reading community for 50 years, our priority is ensuring our proposals directly support the local community.

"As part of our discussions with Reading council we will agree the payment which councils normally receive from developments to fund local services and infrastructure."

A spokesperson for Reading council said: "We are aware of the request from the NHS and are working with the applicant to achieve the right outcome for Reading and its residents, which may include additional funding to help meet identified public health needs in the area."

A decision is expected from the planning committee later this year and if approved, construction could start in early 2026.