BETWEEN 400 and 500 angry Stow residents answered a call to arms by local GPs at the weekend as the future of a medical centre in the town hangs in the balance.

Doctors from the Well Lane surgery were astounded when a planning application for a modern, larger health centre on the gypsy fair site off Oddington Road was recently refused on a narrow majority vote despite a recommendation for approval and more than 270 letters of support.

They asked residents to attend a rally in the town square on Saturday to show their support for a resubmitted plan which will be determined by a different planning committee following the May 7 elections.

GPs had secured land, finances and public support for the health centre. The land, owned by gypsy families, was being sold with conditions attached that restricted development to the new surgery and five houses.

Approximately 26 letters against the scheme had been received.

The Quality Care Commission had already praised the current surgery for its clinical activity, but condemned it for its lack of space, poor access and structural state. Room is so scarce that even flu vaccinations have to be given in Tesco car park, an activity branded a "Third World" scenario by residents.

The CQC requested an action plan update at the end of April 2015 to see if the practice was able to continue in those premises.

The rally was attended by Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown who spoke to surgery staff and also the land developer John Nutbourne.

Mr Clifton-Brown said: “This is an incredibly frustrating situation and it is vitally important that a solution is found as soon as possible to ensure that the people of Stow are not left without a doctor’s surgery.”

Dr Tim Healey, senior partner at Stow Surgery said in an open letter to supporters that the sticking point appeared to be the five houses but said this enabling development would help to deliver the funds. The district valuer had said without the development the scheme would not be viable.

"A government (notional) rent for our services has been granted to us as the highest priority in Gloucestershire," said Dr Healy. "With rejection of our application that funding is insecure and would be replaced by funding for a smaller building and with our funding priority in doubt, competing with practices from Bristol, Avon and North East Somerset, Swindon and Gloucestershire. We had a unique opportunity, now probably lost."

Dr Healy added in his statement following refusal on grounds the plans spoiled the AONB. "It should be noted that, despite this feeling, the committee has just passed a consent for the development of houses and a dementia unit in an AONB just north of Tesco. Most of these patients will not be local but will demand a huge amount of care from the practice."

Those who queried whether the loss of the field for the gypsy fair would cause problems for them were reminded that gypsy families owned the field and had initiated the sale.

Mr Nutbourne told the Journal that he was likely to resubmit a planning application in the near future.