A high-tech new medical centre is being planned for the Oakham area.

The 'future-proof' Rutland Medi-Tech centre would serve as a hub for 'health and innovation', according to Rutland County Council, providing a space for clinical GP services as well as research and development.

If approved, the facility would include a suite of typical GP services spaces, including consultation rooms, theatres, and diagnostic and recovery areas. The first floor would be reserved for lettable rooms for other medical professionals.

Rutland County Council, which is behind the planning application, has emphasised the importance of maintaining the centre as a multi-purpose facility, to boost the local economy through medical enterprise.

The authority said: 'The new Meditech Centre will build on Rutland's existing health and care services, supporting a more connected approach to rural health and wellbeing. It will enhance local access to outpatient care and planned services, including diagnostic facilities and recovery spaces.

'The first floor will provide flexible accommodation for allied health professionals, research and development partners, and private sector innovators aligned to health and care.

'Alongside clinical provision, the centre will provide space for education, research, innovation and business activity that supports high-quality care over the long term.

'By bringing clinicians, educators, researchers and local organisations together in one place, it will create opportunities to share knowledge, build skills and test new ideas.

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'One of the first facilities of its kind in the region, the centre will be managed by Patient Care Locally (PCL) – a community interest company with a proven track record of delivering high-quality healthcare and innovation.'

"To safeguard the dual-purpose nature of the building," official planning documents say, "lease arrangements will include R&D and performance-related targets for occupiers, ensuring the facility continues to foster innovation and economic growth, rather than evolving into a purely clinical or health-only space."

The Rutland Medi-Tech centre would be built at the Oakham Enterprise Park, two miles north of the town centre, on the site of the now-demolished Ashwell Prison.

Rutland County Council would lead the building's early construction phase, before handing over its operational control to Patient Care Locally, a community interest company based in Leicestershire.

The project would be funded through a £3.77 million 'Levelling Up Fund' grant.