DEVELOPERS of a multi-million pound medical centre have been given permission to amend the design and height of the building in north Suffolk.

Planning permission was granted in 2010 for a healthy living centre, residential care home, retail and commercial units, dwellings and the creation of a new village green at the newly-created Shearwater Way, Reydon.

Waveney’s development control committee has now permitted amendments to the Healthy Living Centre (HLC), planned as a “one-stop shop” for services and a new training base for doctors and medical staff.

Since its original approval, further public consultation led to various proposed changes including the appearance of the building has been “softened” to a more vernacular style in-keeping with surrounding homes, with red brick under a 10m taller pantile roof, and not the aluminium roof first proposed.

Recently amended Department of Health rules governing the size of rooms for patient use also resulted in the requirement for additional floor space.

Andy Evans, chief executive officer at HealthEast (NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group), said: “We are pleased that the amendment to the Reydon Healthy Living Centre has been approved. This will enable us to move forward with the project.”