AN outline planning application by the Cubitt practice to build a new GPs' surgery, dental surgery and pharmacy on land adjacent to Alton Community Hospital has been given the go ahead by district planners.

Deferred in April pending a detailed report on traffic implications, members at last week's meeting of East Hampshire District Council's north planning committee heard that a traffic impact assessment had since been received from the applicant showing that 150 vehicles would be expected to visit the surgery per day.

Based on this information the county surveyor had raised no objection provided a suitable financial contribution be made towards off-site highway works identified as part of the adjoining housing scheme.

With regard to traffic movements associated with the pharmacy, officers considered it important to control the range of goods which could be sold, to ensure that no additional journeys to the pharmacy were generated.

The applicant was also asked to provide a Green Transport Plan, to be covered as a condition of planning.

While welcoming the application in principle, local councillor, Stewart Glasgow (Alton South West and Beech) remained concerned about the impact of additional traffic generated by the surgery, particularly during peak times, on Whitedown Lane and Butts bridge.

The fear was that this, combined with traffic from the proposed 145 neighbouring housing development, could cause "gridlock". He wanted more in-depth traffic surveys to be carried out.

Planning officer Chris Murray pointed out that in planning terms the surgery was a relatively small scale development which would not have a serious traffic impact. However, larger developments would be required to produce impact surveys which would take into account traffic generated by the surgery.

Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Whittle (Headley) asked what the point was in obtaining the professional views of the county surveyor if members were not prepared to take his word for it that traffic generated by the surgery complex would not be so bad as to warrant refusal of the plan.

Dr Michael Watkinson (Bordon & Whitehill) reported that health authority officials had looked into this application "with great thoroughness" over the past two years and they too considered that vehicle movements would be sufficiently spaced out so as not to cause a problem.

The decision to build a second health provision at this end of Alton, he said, was long overdue. The current health centre was over-cramped and wasn't able to provide the facilities modern medicine required.

However, while the application had the full support of the health authority it was not providing the financial backing which was coming from the practice itself.

As far as the pharmacy was concerned, Dr Watkinson said that it would be regulated by the Pharmaceutical Medical Committee who would not allow it to undermine other pharmacies in the area.