Thousands of people are set to be vaccinated at a landmark site in Milton Keynes, as the city begins to fight back against coronavirus.
Saxon Court, the centrally-located former civic office building, is now ready to distribute COVID-19 vaccines from today (8/2) onwards.
The Leader of Milton Keynes Council, Cllr Pete Marland, has said that the centre has the capacity to administer 2,000 jabs per day.
The building, which is on Avebury Boulevard, was purchased in October 2020 by mixed-use developers First Base and investors Patron Capital to create 287 new homes and community spaces.
But for the time being, this space has been converted into a vaccination centre and the developers are pleased to support Milton Keynes Council and NHS England to facilitate the roll-out of the vaccine to the local community.
Council Leader Cllr Marland said: "In Milton Keynes we already work very closely with our health partners, so there was no doubt about offering Saxon Court as a venue for a mass vaccination centre. We want to get as many local people vaccinated as quickly as possible. NHS staff are doing an incredible job rolling out the largest vaccination programme in history and we’re proud to be able to accelerate this and protect more residents. This is a big step forward.
"Lots of staff have been working behind the scenes to make this happen in relatively a short space of time. I’d like to thank them and also thank First Base, who we’ve recently sold Saxon Court to, for being so flexible over arrangements.”
Olaide Oboh, Director of Partnerships at First Base, added: “We are proud to be supporting Milton Keynes Council and the NHS as they undertake this significant and important task. Saxon Court sits at the heart of Milton Keynes and we are pleased that the building will be part of the city’s recovery and renewal."
Currently, the vaccination centre is open to those over the age of 70 and those working in health and social care.
Residents who are eligible for the vaccine will be sent a letter inviting them to the centre. Nobody needs to contact the NHS, as people will be invited when it is their turn and people cannot get vaccinated by just turning up.
