THE future of a village surgery will go back to planners after a first application was refused.

An application to relocate the facility from Farholme Lane, Stacksteads, to the ambulance station premises in Commercial Street were rejected by Rossendale Council after residents complained about the impact of increased traffic.

But news of a resubmission was welcomed by the MP Janet Anderson, who hopes it will provide a "pot of hope" for patients and the village pharmacist.

Mrs Anderson said: "The Primary Care Trust has accepted the surgery needs to be at the ambulance station and re-submission of the planning application has been sent to the council.

"Local councillors like the Acre Mill site, but isn't realistic because the doctors don't want it there.

"Residents won't be very happy about it but some kind of compromise will have to be reached because the last thing we want is for Stacksteads to lose such an important facility."

But councillor Michael McShea said: "The ambulance station isn't the right place but people are being bullied into thinking that it is their only option, which isn't the case.

"There are other sites and, if the PCT do not like the Acre Mill site, then I have yet another alternative, at the back of Newchurch Road."

The empty plot of land already has outline planning permission for five houses. Coun McShea said the land would be ideal for the surgery.

He added: "The site has access and is big enough for the surgery and it wouldn't disrupt residents."

Planners will make a decision at next month's development control meeting.