Councillors’ requests for a condition regarding a supermarket and doctor’s surgery in Sandwich were deemed unreasonable by the planning officer.

Following the approval of the plans for a new food store and doctors’ surgery in Dover Road, Sandwich, in September, councillors were asked to consider the conditions of the application at their planning meeting on Thursday.

Some councillors demanded that “not a brick went down” on the supermarket before the doctor’s surgery, which will replace the one in The Butchery, was up and running.

However officer Nicola Coles advised councillors that the condition was unreasonable, suggesting more rational condition: “The food store shall not be open for trade until the doctor’s surgery and pharmacy building has been substantially completed.”

She explained substantially completed means the whole outer shell is put up.

She also explained planning permission only allows the building to be a doctors’ surgery and therefore councillors should feel this is a good guarantee.

Reasons for it not being open are because it is unfair for the developer to have to rely on a third party.

Cllr Trevor Bond agreed with Cllr Bill Gardner who had previously called the surgery a bribe to the whole development.

He said: “I personally would never have approved this without the doctors’ surgery. I’m quite certain it was put in their for a specific reason, to appeal to planners. It is not unreasonable to expect the doctors’ surgery to be there.”

After some negotiation, councillors agreed on the revised wording of the condition. They also suggested the pharmacy should remain open until 8.30pm rather than 6pm, in line with the opening hours of the surgery which will close at 8pm.

Other conditions included access and parking and to encourage pedestrian and public transport access.