MORE than 100 residents have voiced their objections over plans to build a cancer centre on a playing field.

The Maggie's Centre has applied to Taunton Deane Borough Council to build the two-storey centre on a plot of land at Galmington Playing Fields, next to Musgrove Park Hospital.

The building would include a kitchen, exercise room, library and multi-purpose room, and would cater for around 7,500 visits a year providing support for cancer patients and their families.

The centre would be based on a portion of the playing fields.

TDBC planners are expected to make a decision around March 20 later this month.

READ MORE: Charity plans to build cancer caring centre at Musgrove

But more than 100 residents in the surrounding area have voiced their concern, as the plans would infringe upon playing fields that were reportedly left as a 'deed of gift' to the people of Taunton in 1931.

County cllr John Hunt said: "On the face of it, this of course should be welcomed.

However, this particular application is asking that an area of the Galmington Playing Field is ‘taken’ from the people who own it, that’ll be the people of Taunton.

"The playing field was a ‘deed of gift’ to the people by the former Taunton MP, Brigadier Andrew Hamilton Gault in 1931.

"It was given for the “provision and maintenance of a recreation ground for the community as a whole”. Not for the building of a car park, which was refused a few year back, a Maggie’s Centre or anything else that isn’t related to the Brigadier’s wishes in his kind gift to us all.

"The problem is, if this application is upheld, does this open the flood gates? Does it mean that not only will this green public area be reduced or lost altogether, surely it’ll set an unwanted precedent, thus making none of our parks and green public spaces safe from development."

He isn't alone in his views, as 177 nearby residents signed a petition against the development.

Dozens of people also submitted their views to TDBC, explaining concerns such as parking, open spaces, and noise from the building sites.

One objector said: "This is a public park for the residents of Galmington: for children to play, dog walkers, a place to exercise and play sport.

"TDBC should not be entertaining planning applications from private companies that want to build on our public green spaces."

One elderly woman spoke of her concern the building site would have on husband who is living with dementia.

She added: "This land was donated to the children of Galmington, therefore, it would be unjustified to allow the hospital to build on it, even more so as it is taking away the under 5's children's area."

Many residents also claimed no consultation had taken place in the area.

To read the other comments made, search application number 38/19/0008 on TDBC's planning site.