New Storrington doctors' surgery scheme changed

Developers submitted plans to demolish the existing Glebe Surgery and to build a replacement, including a pharmacy, car parking, and 24 new homes off Monastery Lane back in September.

But Horsham District Council planning officers argued that the scale of housing development was ‘unacceptable due to the impacts on heritage, landscape and townscape setting in particular’.

The applicant, Milwood Designer Home and Medical Centre Developments, have amended plans to reduce the number of homes from 24 to nine following negotiations with the council.

According to the revised application: “It is well documented that there is demonstrable need for a new, enlarged and improved doctors surgery within Storrington to meet the increasing demands of the local community.

“The proposed high quality medical facility would provide the service the local community needs in the present and future.

“However, the release of land required for the new doctors surgery is reliant on the delivery of new housing on-site.

“Therefore, the proposed new surgery cannot be provided without the delivery of new housing.”

The 25-year old-surgery has struggled to find available space to manage thousands of extra patients since a neighbouring practice, Mill Stream Medical Centre, was closed by NHS England in May 2014.

Back in April 2016 the County Times revealed that the Diocese of Chichester said it would provide Glebe Surgery with the land it requires for a multi-million pound medical centre, subject to planning approval being received for a wider scheme on the adjacent Glebe Field including new homes and public open space.

The proposal would retain the existing access off Monastery Lane, with an area of public open space in the south and eastern part of the site.

Residents have already written to HDC about the revised plan, expressing their support for a larger doctors’ surgery.

One wrote: “Most people in the village haven’t heard of the Glebe Field.”

To comment visit www.horsham.gov.uk/planning using code DC/16/2108.

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