ANOTHER plan for a new GP surgery in Stow-on-the-Wold has been rejected.

Jenny Scarsbrook had applied for permission to build a new medical centre in the town at Tall Trees on the southern side of Oddington Road.

However, at the Cotswold District Council planning meeting earlier this month, Cllr Sue Jepson spoke against the application, saying that not enough thought had been put into parking on the site and that the surgery would be too difficult for people to access by foot due to being too far out of town.

Her fellow councillors agreed and they voted against the application.

Cllr Barry Gibb’s said the Tall Trees site – which comprises part of an open paddock that horses graze from – was unsuitable for a new surgery.

“As a surgery there is not enough room for expansion and I would be concerned about the lack of parking spaces and space for emergency vehicles,” he said.

This was the third application for a new GP centre in Stow, but was not supported by doctors at the town's only surgery, in Well Lane.

They do want to move from Stow-on-the-Wold Surgery as they believe the Well Lane site is too small and unsuitable for expansion. However they are already supporting plans to build a new surgery on land known as the Gypsy Field.

After the meeting, Dr Tim Healy, from the Well Lane surgery, said: “It is for the doctor’s practice, as independent contractors to the NHS, to decide on the site location for their premises. Under NHS regulations another firm of GPs cannot occupy a second surgery within our practice boundary.”

The Gypsy Field plans include a primary healthcare centre, a pharmacy and five houses with new access roads and parking.

Andrew Eastabrook, of Eastabrook Architects ,which would design the Tall Trees surgery, said the sole reason for the application was to establish whether the site could be used in the event of the Gypsy Field plans being rejected.