Surgery could face closure

The Phoenix Surgery in Sea Lane, Goring, which has around 5,000 patients, has submitted outline plans to move from a temporary home to a new base, to be built at the Mulberry car park at the rear of Goring Road.

However, planning officials are recommending councillors refuse the application at their meeting on Tuesday because the surgery would: "exacerbate the parking and servicing problems in the area to the detriment of local traders and the residential amenities of nearby properties".

Dr Anthony Funnell said: "The bottom line is that if we do not find somewhere to move to soon we will have to close down and this could potentially be a crisis for Goring residents.

"They would have to go to surgeries in Ferring or central Worthing and many of our patients would be unable to travel that far."

Currently, the surgery has two doctors, but Dr Funnell says a move to the Mulberry car park would mean the practice could take on more doctors and could have a dentist on site, too.

He said: "Many of our patients have been concerned to hear that we are moving, but they need to understand that it is for the good of the surgery and, without the move, we could have to close down.

"A move to the Mulberry car park would be ideal. The lease at our current place is not going to be renewed for very much longer and we will not take over the whole of the car park.

"The Mulberry is right in the middle of our practice area and we have even got a dentist interested in moving onto the site, if we get permission."

He said they had been looking for two years for an empty building which could be turned into a surgery but could not find anywhere suitable. "If this is turned down it's going to be serious.

"We are not going to disappear overnight but we cannot renew the lease forever and we would have to shut down in the next few years."

A report to the council says that 18 car parking spaces would be lost through the development. Ten letters of objection have been received. The application will be heard by planners on Tuesday.