Protected trees foil £1m surgery revamp scheme

The horse chestnuts are covered by a tree preservation order to show their importance to the estate.

But they are standing in the way of a 1m-plus scheme by builder and partial landowner R Rawlins and Son Ltd to provide bigger premises for West Meads Surgery by extending The Precinct. Councillors will vote on the outline proposal next Wednesday.

Members of Arun District Council's development control sub-committee are being recommended by planning officer Keith Wheway to refuse the application.

But Dr Nick Rowse, the surgery's senior partner, said: "It is vital for the practice that we can expand and for the patients we serve. You can look at it that the council is putting trees ahead of patient care and the health of the population of West Meads."

He explained that NHS officials had given their backing in principle for the surgery's expansion to cope with the additional services which GPs were expected to provide as an alternative to hospital care.

But they were not supportive of a move to another location. The surgery has expanded to fill three former shop units since it opened nearly nine years ago. Every room is used every day.

It has 7,000 patients and seven doctors, with a further two qualified doctors being trained as GPs.

Mr Wheway's recommendation to the sub-committee states that the trees, which are south-east of The Precinct, are vital to its appearance.

"The four horse chestnut trees form part of a natural feature following the perimeter of (a nearby road) and are regarded as having high visual amenity. Their removal would be disruptive to the natural harmony within the current 'open plan' environment.

"The loss of the trees, without any reasonable arboricultural justification, will be detrimental to the visual amenities of the area," he says. This is contrary to planning policies of the district and county council.

Differing opinions about the trees' health have been received by the council. One expert, hired by R Rawlins, says the trees are diseased. Another hired by the council says they are in basic good health and structurally sound. The trees are on land maintained by the county but owned by R Rawlins.

Strong objections to the trees being axed have been given by Aldwick Parish Council, West Meads Residents' Association and in 114 letters of protest.

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