Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville, Councillor Chris Kennedy, and GP Partners Nick Brewer and Kirsten Brown visited the landmark Portico building in Hackney on Wednesday 21 September 2022. The group, which also included additional NHS staff, was given a tour of the work taking place to transform the Grade II landmark site into a state-of-the-art local health care centre for Lower Clapton Group Practice.
Nelicott Construction Limited, the company that has been appointed to design and build the new extension and undertake the refurbishment works, hosted all members by providing an overview of the construction plan, which included a walk on the patio and a look into the crypt.
The Lower Clapton Group Practice – a long-established GP practice with over 15,000 patients, making it one of the largest in Hackney – has lacked space for its staff and patients for over 20 years.
“The building has been way too small for many, many years,” said Nick Brewer, GP Partner at Lower Clapton Practice and Clinical Director at Hackney Marshes Primary Care Network. “This is going to give us much more room, much more modern accommodation and will allow us to employ more staff to support the entire Primary Care Network.”
The Portico outside Clapton Girls School is a notable indicator in Hackney, not only for its striking architectural design, but for its history as a site of local philanthropy, having at various times been the London Orphan Asylum and the ‘National Barracks’ of the Salvation Army.
The transformation of the Portico building to the new local health centre is anticipated to be completed in autumn 2023 and will include:
- 18 consulting rooms
- 6 treatment rooms
- 1 minor procedures room
- Administrative, staff and patient accommodation and reception areas
This project is jointly funded by the NHS and Hackney Council.
