A PUBLIC meeting to discuss controversial plans for a new medical centre has been postponed.

The Durham Dales Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Auckland Medical Group were scheduled to hold the consultation event at the Manor House Hotel, West Auckland, tonight but it will now rearrange it at a later date.

The decision comes days after Wear Valley District Council asked the PCT to cancel a series of three public meetings and withdraw thousands of leaflets stating that the authority had earmarked part of a recreation area for the project.

The PCT initially refused the council's request saying that the consultations would carry on as planned but members said last night that they were postponing the first one. They gave no reason for the change of heart.

Further meetings in the Elgar Room at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, on January 18 and the community centre, Wilson Avenue, Coundon, on January 25 will go ahead at 7pm each night as planned.

Councillor Hazel Charlton from West Auckland Parish Council, who urged residents to attend the meetings, said that she disappointed with the way the consultations had been handled.

She said: "I think this has been handled very badly, very unprofessional and it is short notice to postpone a meeting.''

Coun Charlton said that the residents of West Auckland and St Helen Auckland were bitterly opposed to the plans to replace three surgeries in Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, St Helen Auckland and Coundon with a purpose-built surgery in Bishop Auckland and were already signing petitions in local shops.