TWO doctors' surgeries with thousands of patients are set to relocate to a landmark building near Basingstoke railway station.

Church Grange Surgery and Bramblys Grange Health Centre, which have 32,000 patients between them, have been granted planning permission to move to the two-floor Unit Five at the bottom of Crown Heights in Alencon Link.

It is hoped the surgeries will be up and running early next year.

The unit was originally earmarked for a health club and shops, but has remained empty since the distinctive blue and yellow Crown Heights flats were completed.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's development committee approved the move last Wednesday. In February, it deferred a decision because of concerns about car parking. The committee said the amended plans were a great improvement.

Speaking afterwards, Lande Newton, practice business manager at Church Grange Surgery, said: "We're absolutely delighted. This is the solution to a lot of our problems.

"We tried hard to listen to the councillors and the Crown Heights Residents' Association, and now we've reached what we believe is the best outcome for everyone.

"Providing clinical care has always been our main priority, but our premises are starting to compromise that, so this is a relief."

She told the committee that staff at the surgeries have desperately been looking to move from their current cramped and crumbling premises in Bramblys Road, Basingstoke, for the last 13 years.

She said the practices have struggled to cope with growing patient numbers.

When Mrs Newton outlined the need for the move in February, she said the current premises were so cramped that staff were worried about patient confidentiality. They also had to time clinics to suit availability of rooms.

Since the Crown Heights unit is twice the size of the current surgeries, there would be more space for treatment areas and consultation rooms, she explained.

The amended plans, drawn up by North Basingstoke Property Group, which is working on behalf of the surgeries, increased the number of underground car parking spaces from 34 to 57.

The plans include 17 drop-off points and 34 spaces for essential users. Disabled spaces have now been increased from four to six and moved closer to the entrance lift.

Councillors acknowledged that the new plans were much better.

However, some were still worried that people dropping off patients would cause congestion in Alencon Link by not bothering to drive through to the lower car park. It is estimated that 900 patients currently visit the surgeries each working day.

Councillor Stephen Marks, ward member for Old Basing, said: "We're doing a botch job by putting in something else for a place that was planned as a gym. But I will support it as it's the best of a bad situation."

However, Cllr David Potter, ward member for Buckskin, said: "This application is far improved and I'm happy to support it."

First published: Monday, April 10, 2006