One Medical Property<\/a><\/strong>, the two-storey development will provide a modern replacement for the community’s existing medical centre, which is no longer considered fit for purpose.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The approved scheme brings consultation and treatment rooms, administrative areas, inclusive patient facilities and an integrated pharmacy together within one carefully planned building. It is intended to support efficient healthcare delivery while presenting a welcoming, non-institutional face to the surrounding residential neighbourhood.<\/p>\n
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The decision represents an important achievement for ACA and the wider project team following a demanding programme of consultation, design development and engagement with planning officers.<\/p>\n
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Responding to a sensitive residential location<\/h2>\n
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Delivering a contemporary healthcare facility on a constrained site presented a complex design challenge. The building needed to accommodate a detailed clinical brief and provide safe, accessible movement for patients and staff, yet also sit comfortably among nearby homes.<\/p>\n
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ACA developed an architectural language influenced by Enderby’s established residential character. A series of pitched roofs reduces the apparent scale of the development and reflects the roofscape found within neighbouring streets. Red brick forms the principal external material, giving the centre a familiar and enduring quality, while slate-grey standing-seam roofing adds a restrained contemporary distinction.<\/p>\n
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The combination allows the medical centre to have an identifiable civic presence without feeling disconnected from its setting.<\/p>\n
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A collaborative route to planning approval<\/h2>\n
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The design changed meaningfully in response to comments received during the planning process. ACA worked with One Medical Property, stakeholders and planning officers to address concerns about the building’s position, massing, roof profile and materials.<\/p>\n
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Moving the centre closer to the eastern side of the site made it possible to retain mature trees and existing vegetation along its western boundary. This established planting now forms a natural screen between the development and neighbouring properties, while helping to create a clearer and more attractive approach to the entrance.<\/p>\n
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The earlier flat-roof proposal was replaced by several pitched roof forms, visually dividing the building into smaller elements. Metal wall cladding was also reduced and more red brick introduced, further strengthening the relationship between the new facility and Enderby’s built character.<\/p>\n
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Rather than diluting the original concept, this dialogue helped ACA create a more resolved proposal, one that satisfies the medical centre’s operational needs while responding more sensitively to its context.<\/p>\n
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Planning from the patient journey inwards<\/h2>\n
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The internal layout has been organised to make the centre straightforward to understand and efficient to operate.<\/p>\n
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Clinical rooms and support areas are positioned around practical working relationships, while public, staff and servicing movements are separated where needed. This reduces unnecessary crossover and supports smoother daily workflows.<\/p>\n
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Patients will find the pharmacy immediately beside the principal entrance, providing convenient access and good visibility. Its location also gives it the potential to function independently when required.<\/p>\n
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Outside, pedestrians and vehicles follow clearly defined routes. An accessible path connects the existing public footway directly with the entrance, helping people approach the building safely and confidently. Inside, logical circulation and intuitive navigation aim to reduce the uncertainty that can make an unfamiliar healthcare visit more stressful.<\/p>\n
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Consultation and treatment spaces have also been designed with flexibility in mind. As community healthcare services, technologies and working practices develop, rooms can accommodate different uses without requiring substantial alterations.<\/p>\n
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Environmental performance and long-term value<\/h2>\n
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ACA has incorporated sustainability through the fundamental organisation and construction of the scheme rather than relying only on added technologies.<\/p>\n
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The compact two-storey plan fits the necessary clinical accommodation into the minimum practical building footprint. A fabric-first strategy prioritises the thermal performance of the envelope, helping to limit operational energy demand over the building’s life.<\/p>\n
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Protecting established trees and vegetation provides additional environmental and amenity benefits. The retained landscape contributes to biodiversity, softens views of the development and creates a more pleasant outlook for patients, staff and neighbouring residents.<\/p>\n
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Together with flexible clinical planning and durable materials, these measures are intended to give the medical centre a long and adaptable working life.<\/p>\n
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Client recognition for ACA<\/h2>\n
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For One Medical Property, achieving consent was especially important because of the condition of the existing centre and the tight programme associated with its replacement.<\/p>\n
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Isabel Driver of One Medical Property praised Alessandro Caruso and the ACA team for taking every comment seriously and working beyond expectations to resolve the concerns raised. She described the practice as “reliable, responsive and a genuine pleasure to work with throughout.”<\/p>\n
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She also confirmed that One Medical Property is working with ACA on several further schemes and remains highly satisfied with both the practice’s work and the strength of the professional relationship.<\/p>\n
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The endorsement highlights the value of an architectural team that can combine design quality with careful listening, practical problem-solving and consistent communication during a complicated approval process.<\/p>\n
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A valuable future asset for Enderby<\/h2>\n
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The committee’s unanimous decision confirms strong support for a healthcare project with the potential to make a lasting contribution to its community.<\/p>\n
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The approved medical centre balances clinical efficiency with inclusive access, patient comfort, environmental responsibility and respect for neighbouring homes. It demonstrates how a building can retain a clear public identity while responding closely to the character and scale of a residential location.<\/p>\n
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For ACA, the outcome is evidence of what can be achieved when planning feedback is used constructively and the needs of patients, staff, clients and local communities are considered together.<\/p>\n
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With planning permission now secured, the project can progress towards its next stages of technical development and delivery.<\/p>\n
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To find out more about the design and development of the scheme, visit ACA’s Enderby Medical Centre project page<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Plans for a new £3.5 million primary care centre in Enderby, Leicestershire, have taken a major step forward after receiving the unanimous support of the local planning","protected":false},"author":12312907,"featured_media":26106,"template":"","good_news_category":[10],"class_list":["post-26105","good-news","type-good-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","good_news_category-business"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessculture.co.uk\/hey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/good-news\/26105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessculture.co.uk\/hey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/good-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessculture.co.uk\/hey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/good-news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessculture.co.uk\/hey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12312907"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessculture.co.uk\/hey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/good-news\/26105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26310,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessculture.co.uk\/hey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/good-news\/26105\/revisions\/26310"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessculture.co.uk\/hey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessculture.co.uk\/hey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"good_news_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessculture.co.uk\/hey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/good_news_category?post=26105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}