PLANS to expand the size of a medical centre in the Ribble Valley have been given the go ahead despite opposition.

Berry Lane Medical Centre, on Berry Lane, Longridge, submitted an application to Ribble Valley Council to expand the size of their practice and drew up a scheme worth more than £1million.

The extension would involve refurbishment and rebuilding of part of the children's play area next to the centre's building, which has staged a number of popular events in the area, including Longridge Field Day.

Planning permission for the extension of the medical centre was granted at last month's Planning Committee as there were no planning objections to it.

The Community Committee of Ribble Valley Council also met last week to consider the matter and recommended the land should be sold to the centre for a price up to £150,000.

The matter has been referred to the Policy and Finance Committee next Thursday for final decision.

Ribble Valley council leader Ken Hind, who is also a Longridge councillor, said: ''As the Chairman of the Policy and Finance Committee I am anxious to hear from Longridge residents on this matter.

"In the public participation section of the Committee proceedings residents will be able to address the committee.

"As far as we are aware the medical centre is privately owned by the doctors and run as a business, so we will be passing the land to private citizens, not to the NHS.

"It is a strange quirk of planning law that applications can be made by people who do not own the land subject of the application, but if they cannot buy it then obviously there will be no construction.

"To date no offer has been made by the doctors of the Berry Lane Medical Centre to purchase the land needed for their extension.

"As the leader of the council it is with regret that we have not been contacted by representatives of the Health Centre.

"We could have advised that there would be strong feelings about this matter.

"However in the interests of the people of Longridge our door is still open to them."

A spokesman from the Berry Lane Medical Centre said: "We were very pleased with Ribble Valley Council's forward thinking attitude about the need for health services in the area.

"We have taken in 1500 more patients in the last 18 months and we are simply running out of space.

"The medical centre is here to provide services to people in the area and those who need health care.

"We have received overwhelming support from people who have come to the centre to look at our plans and have felt reassured by our intentions."

Cllr Rupert Swarbrick, who is also a ward councillor, said: "Whether the borough will sell the land to the doctors practice remains to be seen.

"The fact that health professionals have reacted to the dramatic increase in population is to be welcomed."