Council votes to not lease land to Maggie's cancer charity

The Maggie's Centre wanted to build on a piece of land at Galmington Playing Field

A new cancer support centre will not be built on playing fields near Musgrove Park Hospital after a council voted against leasing the land.

The principle of selling a small part of the land was agreed by the former Taunton Deane Borough Council.

But Somerset West and Taunton Council has now voted against the decision after campaigners argued the land is protected.

Maggie's said it was "disappointed" with the decision.

The land, which is part of Galmington Playing Field in Taunton, was gifted to the people in 1931 by former MP, Brigadier Andrew Hamilton Gault, and has been under the care of the local authority since.

A Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT) spokeswoman said the motion to lease the land was lost, with 44 votes against, five in favour and two abstentions.

Taunton Deane Borough Council - which has since been replaced by Somerset West and Taunton - agreed in principle in 2011 to sell a small part of the site to Maggie's.

The charity was then granted planning permission in March last year to build a centre.

Galmington Playing Field was gifted to the people of Taunton in 1931

Campaigners against the sale of the land said a covenant meant it could not be built on.

Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and Maggie's said there were no other suitable locations for the centre to be built.

A spokeswoman for Maggie's said it was "disappointed" the council had voted not to support their original decision.

"We believe the people of Somerset living with cancer, as well as their family and friends, deserve to have our professional practical, emotional and psychological support on hand," she said.

"So we will continue to work closely with the NHS Trust and council to work out how to make that happen."

SWT leader, Federica Smith-Roberts, said the authority would work with the hospital and Maggie's "to see if we can facilitate them bringing their support centre to Taunton".