A MEDICAL centre could be built in a village which does not have a GP surgery if plans are given the greenlight.

Tendring Farms Ltd has lodged an outline planning application for a new medical centre facility on land south of Long Road, in Mistley.

The proposed application site, which is about half the size of a football pitch, would provide “much needed” additional primary care facilities to respond to the housing growth which is planned for the area.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard:

Approval for more than 1,200 homes in Mistley, Manningtree and Lawford has already been granted, which the applicant said places extra pressure on local health facilities which are already over subscribed.

The proposed medical centre would be based next to land owned by the applicant that has been given planning permission for up to 485 homes and up to two hectares of employment land - the same size as two international rugby union fields.

The development proposals have been submitted in outline form, with all matters reserved for later approval apart from the site access.

If approved the centre would be accessible from a point in Long Road, which would provide staff and visitors direct pedestrian and vehicular access.

A design and access statement, sent to Tendring Council’s planning website, said: “Regardless of the major planned housing growth at this site and on neighbouring land, there is an immediate need for additional healthcare facilities in the local area to serve the existing population.

“This is exacerbated further by the consented and proposed housing growth and an urgent need to release the pressure on existing facilities that are already over subscribed and unable to meet the healthcare needs for the extra residents expected for the area.”

It added: “This proposal will provide the medical practitioners a highly accessible and highly visible location that caters for the current and growing population.

“For instance, 20 per cent of the work the Riverside Health Centre practice cover is related to the care home located adjacent the application site.

“Indeed, the proposal would share a boundary with this facility and through the Reserved Matters application, it would be possible to explore the feasibility of a secure pedestrian access from the care home car park into the medical facility.”

Tendring Council has the final say on the plans.