At a meeting of their planning committee last night (Monday, February 8) members expressed concern about the loss of prime town centre office space in the town. Steve Morley said he opposed the plan to turn Old Surgery on Rumbolds Hill into two homes because it was ‘part of the commercial heart of the town’. Concern has already been expressed by town councillors who said some 24 offices had been lost in the last two years, principally for housing. Cllr Morley said whenever Chichester District Council economic development officers were asked to comment on applications to change the use of offices they asked to see detailed evidence that there really was no demand for the premises. He said he always believed the former Crown pub in Edinburgh Square had not been marketed sufficiently when it was eventually given permission to be turned into a home against the wishes of town councillors. “I always felt it could have been turned into offices,” said Cllr Morley. Among offices space lost are blocks at Peachey House and Hatton House in Bepton Road. John Quilter said the Midhurst Vision had been concerned about ‘decommercialisation’ and he believed measures should be taken to protect offices. Councillors are recommending refusal on the grounds The Old Surgery would represent loss of office space and inappropriate residential development in a street level prime commercial location. Plan to change the former physiotherapy clinic behind Midhurst Club in North Street into a bedsit were not opposed as it was not on the street front. Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live. Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on. 1) Make our website your homepage at www.midhurstandpetworth.co.uk/ 2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MidhurstandPetworthObserver 3) Follow us on Twitter @mid_pet_obs 4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here. And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out! The Midhurst and Petworth Observer - always the first with your local news. Be part of it.