Cleobury Mortimer campaign for medical practice land

Almost 800 residents in Cleobury Mortimer have signed a petition calling for parish councillors to free up land for a £1 million medical practice.

The 790 signatures have been gathered in two weeks by campaigners fighting for a new medical practice in the town to replace cramped facilities at Pinkham.

They are calling for land at the former Muller England site to be handed to healthcare developers Matrix Medical.

It follows a public meeting in this month attended by residents who called for a resolution on the land.

Parish councillors were to discuss the signatures today.

Jenny McCrorie, of Cleobury Patients' Voice, said without a confirmed site the town could miss out on funding from Shropshire Primary Care Trust, with a decision due to be made within the next two weeks.

The Muller England land was donated to Cleobury Mortimer Parish Council for £1 by the company for community use. But councillors have not yet decided whether to allow the land to be used for the centre.

Mrs McCrorie said: "There are strong feelings in the community on how their land should be used. We hope our parish council is working towards a solution the community wants."

She added: This is our health. No-one should gamble with this, and therefore any solution needs to be risk free."