OPPOSITION is growing to plans by local health services to build a new "super surgery" for GPs on Greenbelt land in Wirral.
Bebington and West Wirral Primary Care Trust has approached Wirral Council over plans to use a part of a horticultural site in Irby.
But Pensby councillor Oliver Adam said there would be "quite a battle" before any Greenbelt land was given up.
He said: "The residents I have spoken to do not want this, for many reasons.
"It is right on the edge of the ward so, even though it's on a couple of bus routes, it is still not ideal for many people, whereas the GPs are spread around at the moment and there is a surgery within easy walking distance of most people.
"I'm also concerned at why they want to give up the existing GP sites. I do wonder how much there is an element of them wanting to sell off the land those sites are on.
"Myself and my ward colleagues do not want to see Greenbelt land given up like this."
The PCT caused uproar when it made speculative outline planning applications on sites owned by the council, at Fisher's Lane, Heswall, and the Warrens Nursery in Irby two years ago, without consulting the authority beforehand.
The plan was later dropped. In an attempt to prevent a similar outcry, a joint property committee was set up by local health services, but a report to Wirral Council says it has been unable to find a new site for GP surgeries in the Pensby/Irby area despite examining around 20 sites.
The report said: "This is simply because most of the area is either developed for high value uses, or is within the Greenbelt.
The Bebington and West Wirral PCT has carried out its own extensive site search, without success.
"It has come to the conclusion that any new site is likely to involve Greenbelt land and that, in terms of size and location, only a site within the Warrens Nursery area, which is close to main bus routes through Pensby and Irby, is capable of meeting its needs."
The Warrens Nursery is a substantial area of land bordering on Arrowe Park, used as the horticultural operation for the council's Parks and Open Spaces Division.
It was threatened with closure as part of the budget cuts for 2006/7, but the authority is looking at using it as a horticultural training centre for those with learning disabilities.
Wirral council's cabinet deferred a decision on the PCT's proposal while more information about the plans was requested and local councillors' views sought.
