March 1, 2001 16:47: LABOUR councillors have expressed their anger at the decision not to allow a new doctors' surgery and other development in the Green Belt grounds of Penn School.

Cllr Anthea Hardy (Lab, Downley) told a meeting of Wycombe District Council on Monday that she was no longer proud to be a councillor.

Labour group leader Ted Collins (Booker and Castlefield) said it was the most disgraceful decision in his 14 years on the council.

He also accused Conservative planning chairman Chris Oliver of whipping his party members into line to get a result.

Cllr Oliver said he hoped something could be done. But he said the green belt must not be lost and measures had to be taken to ensure that the school remained a school.

Planning chief Chris Swanwick met the doctors at Penn on Monday to discuss their needs. A meeting has been arranged for Tuesday between planning officers and the applicants, deaf charity Sign, to look for a solution.

Sign wants to buy Penn School, a school for children who are both deaf and disabled, from Camden Borough Council and to raise £2 million to do so from developments in the 21-acre grounds. These would include a surgery, pharmacy, post office, old people's flats and facilities, and offices.

Last month the planning, environment and transportation committee (PET) turned it down on green belt, archaeological and highways grounds.

According to Steve Powell, chief executive of Sign, time is running out. The deal with Camden has to be signed by the end of the month, planning permission cannot be obtained by then and Camden will not extend the deadline.

Even if a revised planning application was agreed, the decision would be against Green Belt policy. The Government Office for the South East (GOSE) would probably want a public inquiry which would take months.