More than 250 residents in Cleobury Mortimer have given their unanimous support to a plan to build a new £1 million medical practice on the town’s former Muller England factory site.

Plans put forward by developers Matrix Medical – which has the backing of Shropshire County Primary Care Trust – were hailed as a last opportunity to build a new surgery in the town for many years at a public meeting held at Lacon Childe School last night.

Angry residents turned on a rival developer, Blue Square Assets, which was last night given the chance to present an alternative to Matrix Medical’s bid after expressing interest in the long-term plan in May.

Blue Square Assets offered to build a larger overall complex, featuring an old people’s home, shops and a medical centre.

Bovis Homes, which is building about 100 homes on part of the Muller England site, also came under fire for offering the parish council a land deal worth up to £457,000 if it backed Blue Square Assets.

The new surgery will replace existing cramped facilities at Pinkham which have been deemed no longer fit for purpose. A final decision will be made by members of Cleobury Mortimer Parish Council on September 26.

Debbie Cox, who owns the town’s pharmacy, asked Blue Square director Jason Humpherston: “Which pharmacy is going in your health centre because it isn’t mine?

“We are the only pharmacy within eight miles and we’ll go to Matrix as you haven’t even spoken to us.”

Shropshire Councillor Madge Shineton said: “If we don’t grab this opportunity from Matrix now I know from experience on all the health committees I have sat on that we may have lost it for years and years.”

And resident Michael Lewis asked if Blue Square had any links to Blue Square Projects, a property firm fined £2,000 by North Warwickshire Borough Council last month for failing to repair a dangerous property.

Mr Humpherston said: “That is a separate entity of the business, with different directors, and this scheme will rest on its own merits.”

There were repeated calls for parish councillors to urgently back Matrix’s bid.

Resident Linda Lambert said: “What sort of consultation does this have to bring to ensure our councillors say yes please Matrix? Can you please get on with it?”

No-one in the audience voted against Matrix’s bid to build the surgery on land currently owned by the parish council.

The Matrix bid has the support of Shropshire County PCT, GPs and Cleobury Patients’ Voice, but needs parish council support to go ahead.

By Danny Carden