A KINGSWINFORD councillor has said a proposed new health centre shouldn’t be located in his ward but in Dudley town centre so as to help four of the most deprived wards in the country.

Cllr Dave Tyler made his call at a meeting of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Board held on Wednesday (November 27) during a discussion on recommendations to the borough’s cabinet.

Arguing the health centre should be on Flood Street he said it had been suggested it could be in Kingswinford, but he added:  “However, it has been quite forcibly said that the four town centre wards in Dudley are in the 10 per cent of the most deprived in the country.

“So, why not take a health centre to where it could reap the biggest rewards?

“The suggestion to the cabinet is to explore a location, instead of Kingswinford, smack bang in the middle of the town next to the new leisure centre where they can bounce off one another.”

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Tyler said the wards of St Thomas,  St James, Netherton, Woodside and St Andrews and the Castle and Priory all intersect in Dudley town centre.

He added: “If you look at the indices of deprivation you’ll see they are in the top ten per cent for health in the country.

“My thoughts are, if you have issues with deprivation and health then you don’t take a health centre with all the benefits it can bring and put it somewhere else.

“If there is a need for it,  you put it smack in the middle of where it is is needed. 

“We should be putting a health centre where it would reap the most benefit and the residents and their families would reap the most benefit.”

The next meeting of the borough’s cabinet is scheduled for January 6 where reports from scrutiny committees will be discussed.