Plans for a medical centre on the site of a new 220-home development in Watford have been scrapped.

In a planning application to build 223 houses and flats on the former Cassio college site, approved in 2009, Cala Homes proposed to provide community space earmarked for a doctor or dentist surgery.

However, a new planning application for the same Langley Road site, now called Nascot Grange, was submitted to Watford Borough Council earlier this month, omitting the surgery and including a Tesco Express store and an additional three flats.

The developer said it had been searching for a user for a doctor’s surgery since planning approval was received in March 2009 but no GPs were interested in using the premises.

“Therefore, Cala has revised the proposal to remove the facility,” a Cala Homes representative said.

“In lieu of this Cala is making a planning S106 contribution in excess of £98,000 to benefit local health services. This is on top of a contribution of over £1.5million to benefit a range of local facilities such as libraries, nursery, primary and secondary education, play areas and highway improvement works.

“Other planned benefits for the Nascot Grange Development such as the planned retail outlet and public open spaces to serve the community are unaffected by the revision and stand to deliver substantial further benefits to the community as a whole.”

Members of the Nascot Residents Association, who were involved in creating a planning brief the site, said a shop would be a useful addition to the local community.

In a statement, the group said: ““The association has campaigned for over ten years to ensure that the redevelopment of the Cassio campus site includes decent facilities for the local community.

“However, neither the developer nor the council can force a GP to set up on the site, so the NRA consider, in the circumstances, that the proposed alternative, a decent shop, would be useful to the local community (particularly the elderly and disabled) as the nearest shops are over half a mile away."

Nascot ward Councillor Andrew Forrest said he was disappointed residents were not consulted about the fresh application.

He said: “There will be a view that a retail outlet would be very convenient as people could walk rather than drive.

“But there needs to be some balance between a commercial element and the needs of the community.”

Fellow ward councillor Andrew Mortimer added: “In principle, it would be very nice if it was there but I’m not going to shed a vast number of tears if it’s just not practical from the point of view of the professionals.”

A Watford Borough Council representative said it was seeking clarification from Cala Homes about the “efforts made to attract a health practice” to the development.

“In all larger developments the council aims to include local facilities (shops, doctor’s etc), but this depends on a commercial partner or organisation wishing to be involved,” he said.

“Ultimately if there is no interest in taking up the space available the council cannot make any businesses or organisations setup in, or locate to the development.”

A Hertfordshire PCT representative said there had been no formal discussions with the developer about the provision of a GP surgery.

The new planning application will be decided by the council’s development control committee at a future meeting.