THOUSANDS of patients could find themselves with no family doctor after Wycombe District Council rejected plans to develop Penn School.

Deaf charity Sign put forward plans for a new surgery as part of a development to safeguard the future of the school and benefit the local community.

The council rejected the plans on Monday on the grounds that the development would be on 21 acres of green belt land.

But Penn Surgery, which was on the verge of closure without the new development, will now have to close by 2004, leaving its 5,500 patients with nowhere to turn.

Doctors at the surgery have already decided they can not take on any new patients and closed the lists early on Tuesday after hearing that their new surgery was off.

Wendy Green, the practice manager, said the surgery would have to close by 2004 because it did not fit NHS requirements.

The decision on Monday by members of the council's planning, environment and transportation committee also threatens the future of Penn School, the school for disabled deaf children, because owner Camden Borough Council, wants to get rid of it and has given Sign until March 31 to buy it.

But without the cash from the planned development, which would have included housing, an old people's complex, surgery, offices, pharmacy and post office, Sign is unable to finance the purchase.

Supporters, who packed Monday's meeting, left furious and bewildered that it had been turned down, especially as the planning applications panel, which considered it twice in November, had been in favour.

Sign's chief executive Steve Powell said he was furious that the decision to refuse was taken on the casting vote of committee chairman Chris Oliver and said Sign would appeal.

He said: "He has effectively killed the community of Penn."

He also accused planning officers and the county highways authority of not giving enough help.

Officers said the scheme should be turned down because the land was in the green belt, because archaeologists had not investigated and because the highways authority wanted it refused.

Cllr Anthea Hardy (Lab), who criticised officers for not helping Sign, said green belt rules were not inviolable.

"As for traffic, it wasn't beyond the wit of people at county hall to devise a workable scheme," she added.

But Cllr Alan Green (Con) said the council had no control over the future use of the office block or any other parts of the site.

And he added: "This is not the first time doctors have told us they are a special case. To say that if we don't agree they will pull out, puts my back up."