THE long-awaited construction of the £2.7 million Chapelford Medical Centre has started.

A groundbreaking ceremony will take place at the annual Chapelford Christmas Fair this Sunday to officially mark the start of the project.

The health centre is being developed by NHS Property Services, in partnership with NHS England and NHS Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group.

NHS chiefs are expecting the state-of-the-art facility to open in late summer 2019.

Anthony Leo, director of commissioning at NHS England (Cheshire and Merseyside), said: "We are delighted that building work has begun to construct a new and greatly anticipated medical centre for the people of Chapelford."

The current site has been operating out of a portable unit, on Burtonwood Road, for more than a decade following repeated setbacks and problems with funding.

Dr Dan Bunstone, lead GP at Chapelford Medical Centre, said: "I'm really pleased to see work beginning on the new home for our practice.

"It is an extremely exciting time for Chapelford.

"The new building will give us the opportunity to offer more primary care services in our community that will continue to grow as the village does."

Last November, the council's development management committee passed proposals for a new GP surgery, on land adjacent to the Sainsbury's supermarket.

Planning permission had originally been given for the surgery in 2002, as part of the original application for the Chapelford development, on the site of the old RAF Burtonwood airbase.

However, it expired in May last year due to a condition that building work must begin within 15 years.

Mark Lloyd, principal construction manager at NHS Property Services, said: "We look forward to delivering this much-needed primary care facility, which will provide modern fit for purpose premises for the staff and patients of Chapelford Medical Centre."

Dr Andrew Davies, clinical chief officer of NHS Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group, also welcomed the developments.

He said: "The ground breaking signifies a massive achievement for all partners and people as we see the £2.7 million investment to provide much-needed primary care facilities in Chapelford start to become a reality."