Concerns have been raised by NHS England that GP surgeries already over capacity will be faced with almost 500 new patient registrations if a housing development is given the green light.

Concerns have been raised by NHS England that GP surgeries already over capacity will be faced with almost 500 new patient registrations if a housing development is given the green light.

Stevenage Borough Council has received a planning application for 14 to 38 Park Place in Stevenage town centre, with owner Park Place Plaza Ltd intending to create 202 homes.

The plan is to build a further three storeys on top of the existing three storeys to accommodate 44 studio flats, 120 one-bed flats and 38 two-bed flats, as well as retain a retail element.

NHS England and the East and North Herts Clinical Commissioning Group says the development would create about 485 new patient registrations.

In a submission to the council, they say: “There are a number of surgeries that will be affected by the proposed development that do not have the capacity to absorb the additional requirements for general medical services should this application be successful.”

They have suggested the developer pays £748,362.76, to allow surgeries to re-configure, extend or relocate practices “to absorb those significant demands” and prevent patient lists from being closed, and to support mental health, acute and community costs.

The submission continues: “Comments received from a number of GP practices within Stevenage, particularly closest to the proposed development, highlight their concern about the impact on already constrained GP premises infrastructure and we wish to seek assurance these will be addressed.”

All the retail units earmarked for the development are currently empty and people have long been complaining the area is in desperate need of revamping, but the plans have received mixed reaction. While many welcome the regeneration, others are concerned at the proposed height of the development.

A spokesman for Park Place Plaza Ltd said: “As a responsible developer we take our commitments to the local community very seriously and we are working hard to ensure that the redevelopment will be the catalyst for regeneration that is so urgently needed, breathing new life into the town centre.”