CONCERNS have been raised about a plan to build a new doctor's surgery in a village.

The promise of a new doctor's surgery in Martley as part of a plan to build up to 60 homes in the village near Worcester has been met with scepticism by a neighbouring surgery in Great Witley.

The homes and surgery would sit on around ten acres of land off Sandyfields next to several other developments to the west of Martley as part of plans put forward by Jessup Brothers and Citizen Housing Group.

The partners of the Great Witley Surgery in Worcester Road, who also own the Martley Surgery, said they had not been contacted by the developer over the planning application and had not been made aware of the plans for a new doctor’s surgery in the village which would replace an existing surgery in St Peter's Drive.

In a letter to Malvern Hills District Council, the surgery partners said previous experience had shown that developers had included plans to build a new surgery in applications for homes in order to get planning permission only for it be to withdrawn at a later stage.

“We do have concerns that the village of Martley has already been developed significantly in the past 15 years,” the letter said.

“The provision of a further 60 dwellings would put significant strain on existing services including transport and schooling in the area and further changing the character of the village.

Letters to the council from Avon Planning Services, the agent for developers Jessup Brothers and Citizen Housing Group, said Great Witley Surgery had first been contacted about the proposals in April 2019 and had been discussed in several telephone conversations since.

"Can I assure you and the doctors, that the offer of a new surgery is a genuine one and its delivery can be controlled by S106 agreement," the letter from Avon Planning Services managing director Neil Pearce said.

"If the doctors are unwilling to accept this offer of a new surgery in the village, which I maintain is needed, then the site will revert to an alternative community use."

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said it was also unaware of the plans for a new surgery and GPs at the existing Martley surgery had not said they wished to relocate.

The CCG also said it had not been consulted over what the requirements for a new surgery in Martley would be.

“The existing GP practices do not have capacity to accommodate the additional growth resulting from the proposed development,” the CCG said in a letter to the council.

“The development will generate an additional 168 residents and subsequently increase demand upon existing constrained services.”

However, the CCG has said it is not opposed to a new surgery and has asked for a £26,500 contribution to address the expected pressure.

Villagers have already called the plan "unnecessary" saying the area would not be able to cope.

More than 35 objections against the plan were submitted to Malvern Hills District Council during public consultation saying the village would lose its character.