Berrow Medical Centre plans withdrawn but not finished

2:15pm Thursday 13th March 2008

By James Beal

DEVELOPERS behind a controversial medical centre at Berrow withdrew plans for £2.5millionfacility last week, but later insisted the application would be resubmitted.

Plans for the new multi-purpose medical centre - set to include a doctors' surgery, a dental surgery, pharmacy and mental health unit for the elderly - was withdrawn from a meeting of the Development Control Committee on Tuesday, March 4.

The proposal split the community in Berrow and had been criticised by residents who thought the surgery would bring a greater volume of traffic to the village.

The surgery site also caused concern with Sedgemoor planning officers for lying outside the development boundary of the Berrow settlement and in a floodplain But despite the plans being stalled, developer Burnham Medical Centre insisted it was still committed to the delivery of the 14,000sq ft surgery in Berrow.

Dr Harvey Sampson, a senior partner at the surgery, told the Weekly News Burnham Medical Centre was at "bursting point" and "struggling to cope with increasing patient numbers" - and the new branch surgery would serve patients in the Berrow and Brean areas.

And in a statement released by the centre said: "The applicants decided to withdraw the application to allow the opportunity for further information to be submitted to the local planning authority which demonstrates that the proposals would be able to overcome the existing concerns.

"The applicant will be submitting the additional information to the local planning authority within the next few weeks with a view to demonstrating that the proposals would have no adverse impact on the local road network and will meet the policy requirements relating to flood risk.

"It is anticipated that the application will be resubmitted to the local planning authority for determination by the end of March 2008."

In spite of assurances from developers, supporters of a new medical centre were left contemplating the worst.

Cllr Carol Dyer, from Berrow Parish Council, said: "I would be disappointed if it didn't happen. I think it would be a very good idea - we get an awful lot of people in the summer - and it would reduce travelling to and from the doctors.

"There used to be a surgery in Brean and with all the young families and elderly people we need something. I have said for years we need a surgery in Berrow, we just need something this end or we would be left with nothing."