Historic building halts plan for new £3m GP surgery complex

In spite of warnings of time constraints, the East Riding Council's eastern area planning sub committee have asked the developers of the new GP practice in Driffield to come up with new ideas to safeguard one of the buildings which will have to come down, number six, Eastgate.

The meeting was told that the current Bridge Street practice had outgrown its current premises and some patients were seen in Portakabins. The new building would be built by a private developer and leased back to the GP practice.

However the council's conservation officer has objected, and concerns have been raised by the Humber Design Review Panel, plus by English Heritage.

Dr Robin Freeman, one of the GPs working at Bridge Street, told the committee they had been looking for a site for eight years, and they needed to move because they were offering services they didn't previously including diabetes and asthma clings and minor surgery, as well as space for GP registrars and students from Hull York Medical School.

He told the committee: "Three of the consulting rooms are currently in Portakabins and the doctors working there really do not have the room to see and examine patients properly.

"In the 20 years since I have been there the number of GPs has increased from five to 11, and from two practice nurses to three. The premises we have got have been modified as much as possible to enable people to consult but we still have to juggle rooms."

However, the meeting was told the building at number six was the "stumbling block" having been identified as an important feature in a Driffield conservation area appraisal. Officers from the council believe it could be incorporated and retained as part of the new health centre.

Coun John Bird (Lib Dem., St Mary's) said: "It's a very difficult decision as no there's no doubt at all that this facility is needed but it's not just the conservation officer, English Heritage have great concerns about it, the Humber Design Review panel have concerns about it.

"Should we accept what is poor design just because of need – I don't think we should. There's been a lot of time passing when it was going through the design stages – it seems the concerns have been ignored...I'm quite happy to go along with deferring and delegating approval as long as there's room for negotiations between officers and the applicant and a better design comes forward.

Coun Peter Turner agreed saying a better design was "not beyond the wit of man", adding: "We should not be threatened by funding problems or poor design."

The plans would mean the demolition of all the buildings on the site, which is within Driffield conservation area, including a large former mill building, most recently used as a night club, plus outbuildings and number six Eastgate – which is unlisted.

In its place the new facilities would offer 16 GP consultation rooms and seven rooms for nurses.

Agents argue that the most of the buildings are currently in very poor condition and conversion wouldn't be economically viable.

Councillors agreed unanimously to defer the application and delegate approval to officers with the stipulation that discussions take place with architects to come up with an amended scheme that retains number six, Eastgate. If that cannot be achieved the matter will go back to the committee.

East Riding PCT said yesterday it was looking at the implications of the decision.