Plans for a £12 million health and social centre in the heart of Walkden have been approved by Salford City Council.

The new centre, located on the site of demolished flats on Cloverfield Walk off Bolton Road in Walkden, will house a GP practice, a full range of Salford City Council services including a 'One-Stop-Shop' for face-to-face contact with City Council services, community rooms, cafe and children's play area.

In addition the centre will become a new home for both Walkden Library and Walkden Cline. Both facilities will relocate when the new centre opens (planned for end of 2007).

Salford Primary Care NHS Trust will be providing a range of community health services in the centre including: Art Therapy, Audiology, Community Dentistry, Diabetes, Dietetics, Health Promotion, Paediatrics, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Speech and Language Therapy, Walk-in-service.

The centre will have 65 car parking spaces, is easily accessible by public transport and is just yards from the Ellesmere Shopping Centre.

Following planning approval the legal and financial details will be finalised and construction is planned to begin during autumn 2006.