HUNDREDS of angry Stow residents turned up at a public rally on the weekend, armed with placards and determined to get answers about the future of the town's doctors' surgery.

Since plans for a new surgery on the gypsy fair site at Maugersbury, Stow-on-the-Wold were thrown out by Cotswold District Council (CDC) on April 8, angry residents have been up in arms.

Nearly 200 people rallied together at the village green outside the Old Stocks Hotel on Saturday to air their views.

There are fears that Stow could be left without a doctors' altogether as the current clinic, Stow Surgery, has recently been listed as "not fit for purpose" after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Dr Tim Healy of Stow Surgery tried to reassure the crowd on Saturday and explained that the application for the new doctors' surgery would be changed slightly and then immediately resubmitted to CDC.

He told the Standard he was really surprised to hear the plans, which included a modern medical facility with parking for more than 30 cars and a development of five houses, were refused as the CDC planning officer had recommended their approval.

"We were led to believe it would be approved," he said. "But it was refused because it was on an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). But Stow is covered in AONB.

"We have been talking to lots of people and we have now reapplied. We found that people are coming behind us and we feel that local politicians and the authority are becoming more supportive."

The GP added that he thought it was a good public rally, as messages of support were delivered from long-standing MP for the Cotswolds Geoffrey Clifton-Brown and leader of CDC Lynden Stowe.

"There was a good turnout of people. A lot of placards were being carried. They asked some very penetrating questions, not nasty either," said Dr Healy. "A surgery is necessary as a community asset. We hope that we will get it through the June CDC planning committee."

To keep the current surgery open, which Dr Healy said was already overcrowded, management need to tell CQC where they will be moving by the end of this month.

"The CQC were very happy with the clinical practice but found the premises are not fit for purpose," said Dr Healy. "If they can be persuaded that we have a reasonable prospect of a new premises then they will continue to let us stay here until the new surgery is built. Both Geoffrey Clifton-Brown and CDC will be writing to the CQC to help us.

"It's looking a lot more positive. We are currently practising from a site which is a third of the size it should be. We have been looking for a new site for 14 years and the gypsy field is the only one."