A £23 million health facility in North Lanarkshire has secured an accolade at a prestigious industry awards ceremony.

The Houldsworth Centre in Wishaw won a prize in the partnership category at the Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning.

The multi-million pound project was developed by the council along with NHS Lanarkshire. It comprises of a wide range of health services, including GP and dental practices, as well as a library, First Stop Shop, Municipal Bank, housing services and café.

The partners agreed to work together to design and build a modern building which allows residents to access a variety of health and community services in one location, close to public transport and the town centre.

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Praising the scheme, the Awards' Judges said the development was "a superb outcome for the size and complexity of the project - all in keeping with Town Centre First Principle". In addition, they "welcomed the ambition of North Lanarkshire to set a benchmark for healthcare in Scotland".

Shirley Linton, the council's Head of Planning and Regeneration, said: "A key priority for us was to keep local services within the town centre, making them accessible to everyone and supporting the local economy.

"We are already seeing the benefits of locating a number of services in one space - footfall in the library has more than tripled in the last year, leading to a 35% increase in memberships.

"I would like to thank our partners in NHS Lanarkshire, staff, community groups and others involved in the Houldsworth Centre project."

(LM/MH)