PLANS for a £10 million health centre have been given the green light, despite concerns from residents that it will tower over their homes.

The four-storey Biddulph Primary Care Centre in Wharf Road will include three GP practices, walk-in centre, outpatients' clinic, treatment rooms, community room, podiatry clinic, district nurse base and pharmacy.

The NHS North Staffordshire building, which will take up 61 spaces on the town centre council-run car park, will lead to the creation of 50 full-time and 27 part-time jobs in spring 2012.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's planning committee yesterday approved the application for the landmark building, which one councillor branded "ugly".

One resident, whose home will be the closest to the centre, says he could be forced to move from the house he has lived in for 28 years.

Former telephone engineer Trevor Machin, aged 56, of Silver Close, Biddulph, said: "It is more than likely that I will have to find somewhere else to live.

"My home will be about 50ft from the centre and it will dwarf our house. The people on the top floor will be able to look into our bedrooms.

"It will be a blot on the landscape. There are plenty of other places they could have put it.

"It will also mean that we will lose car parking spaces."

Councillors were told there had been 10 consultation meetings about the centre, which has been in the pipeline for two years.

Councillor Mike Bowen, pictured left, said: "I think it is an ugly building. I don't like it, although I can see the need for it. Biddulph is a growing community and facilities like this are very helpful and useful."

Biddulph councillor Jim Davies said the proposals had won the support of most town councillors and people were looking forward to the centre being built.

He said: "It is a pity we are losing so many car parking spaces, but I have been assured that it will be compensated for by Sainsbury's.

"On balance – and nothing is ever perfect – I am in favour of it."

A total of 480 car parking spaces will be available to serve the town with the new Sainsbury's development.

People can park at the new store for two hours for free.