VILLAGERS in Nazeing and Roydon will soon have access to medical facilities on their doorstep after plans for a temporary GP surgery were given the go-ahead by Epping Forest Council.

Epping Forest Primary Care Trust wants to site a modular building in Paynes Lane for two years while a permanent surgery is built in North Street.

Councillors went against a planning officer's recommendation to refuse permission because of green belt and highway safety issues concerning the Paynes Lane-Nazeing New Road junction and gave it the green light.

As the application is contrary to council planning policy the matter was referred to a special district development control meeting last week.

Councillors felt the urgent need for medical facilities to cater for the demand in Nazeing and Roydon which regularly sees people travel up to five miles to see a doctor was enough to justify special circumstances.

They approved the scheme despite objections from Paynes Lane residents.

Lawrie Berry, of Paynes Lane, told the meeting there were "serious concerns" over the safety of the Paynes Lane-Nazeing New Road junction and land ownership issues relating to whether the primary care trust could legally use the lane for access.

The scheme was backed by Nazeing parish council and primary care trust chief executive Aidan Thomas who said it could lose funding for the North Street project and "vital" medical staff if the application was refused.

Mr Thomas said: "All of the agencies and bodies involved including the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and Nazeing parish council have understood this and either withdrawn their objections or offered their support.

"There's clear legal advice the development would not compromise through precedent any planning dispute with other parties in Paynes Lane. The only issue is that raised by the highways authority concerning the turning into Paynes Lane.

"The trust will work with the authority to try and resolve this and is prepared to fund any work necessary to resolve the problems it raised."

Despite their willingness to grant permission, several councillors expressed concerns over road safety issues relating to the Paynes Lane-Nazeing New Road junction which they wanted resolved before a decision was made.

However the application was passed despite highways officer comments that the junction should not be allowed to take more vehicles.