A DEVELOPER has said refusal of the application for a new doctors' surgery in Stow on land between Oddington Road and Maugersbury Road has had a positive outcome.

The plans were refused by Cotswold District Council's planning committee in April by eight votes to six. The reason for refusal was that the development was in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty despite it being recommended for approval by officers and had received 274 letters of support. Just 26 people were against the plans.

The existing surgery in Well Lane has long been considered inadequate to deal with demand and in recent times it has been forced to deliver flu jabs in the car park of nearby Tesco supermarket which GPs said was not acceptable.

The new surgery is planned on land currently used twice-yearly as the site of a gypsy horse fair. Gypsy families own the land and it is they who have instigated the sale.

Developer John Nutbourne has told the Journal that refusal made him revisit the plans and he and his architect have now submitted a new application to the district council that he feels is an improvement.

"The revised plans include a smaller surgery with a design that will fit in better with the landscape. It will be around 15 to 20 per cent smaller with the pharmacy facility removed and an altered roof line. The size of 729sq metres is in line with NHS sizing requirements.

The development of five houses has also been revised and now range from four-bed to three, rather than from five-bed as they were in the previous application. They will also be reduced in height and total a 30 per cent reduction in size.

The new plans show the houses are now largely single-storey or part underground in order to greatly reduce the impact and quantity of visible glazing so they give an appearance of agricultural buildings.

"We have also negotiated with the current owner that a 106 agreement would restrict any further development on the whole of the site, so the only development possible there would be the five houses," he said.

"I think this is a much better design and will fit in with the landscape much better. Sometimes you have to take a step backwards to take two forwards. Because of what happened last time I think we have a much better application on the table than last time," he said.

"I don't know how people will vote when the plans come up at planning committee next time, but I believe this new design and its reduction in size is much better."