A Weston-super-Mare councillor says he is ‘concerned’ about healthcare in the town and has called for services to be ‘urgently strengthened’.

It has been widely reported that GP surgeries have been ‘stretched’ in recent years and concerns have been raised, with tens of thousands of people set to move into new homes in the town, about how they will cope.

Mike Bell, a councillor for Weston’s Central ward, told the Mercury he wants a ‘community’ to be built, not just houses.

He has warned the area is already home to ‘significant deprivation’ and fears the situation will only get worse without intervention.

He said: “In the past five years, two main surgeries based in the town centre at Boulevard and Longton Grove Road have both relocated out of the town centre.

“A GP surgery based at Health Central in the Boulevard has closed and now it is likely the branch surgery operating from Stafford Place will also close.

“Buildings at Graham Road Surgery and Clarence Park Surgery are not purpose-built and are located in areas where access is challenging.”

Cllr Bell sent a letter to the North Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is responsible for healthcare provision alongside NHS England.

He outlined his concerns about healthcare standards for residents of the 900 homes earmarked for Weston over the coming years.

Cllr Bell wants the CCG and NHS to focus on delivering more frontline healthcare such as GP surgeries, as the town prepares to house new residents.

He said: “There is already evidence that existing services are struggling to meet the needs of the existing patient numbers and room for further growth does not exist without further development of services.

“The council has ambitious plans for the regeneration of Weston, including encouraging a bigger and more mixed residential population.

“A vital ingredient in that vision must be to build a strong community, and not just build more homes.

“For me, the NHS and other partners must show that they can deliver the health services that are needed, in the right place, at the right time and in modern, fit for purpose premises.

“Weston Central ward has significant deprivation, major health inequalities when compared to elsewhere in North Somerset, and has effectively been ignored by health commissioners.”

Dr Mary Backhouse, chief clinical officer for North Somerset CCG, said: “We recognise and understand the concerns raised and have invited Cllr Bell to meet with representatives of the joint co-commissioning committee to discuss these concerns in more detail and how we are addressing them.

“We are working in collaboration with partners around investment and infrastructure in Weston.

“The CCG is currently in the process of finalising a strategy for primary care estates to support improvement in GP services.”