Plans for a £2 million state-of-the-art medical centre have been dropped because doctors did not want to move from a nearby house, it has been claimed.

The GP surgery was due to be built on the former Meteor Ford site, in St Mary's Row, Moseley.

It was linked to the development of the Marks and Spencer food shop but now the medical centre has been dropped and plans approved for restaurant or coffee shop, plus eight sheltered flats instead.

Marks and Spencer shop under construction in Moseley

City council planning committee member and Moseley resident Coun Barry Henley said that the doctors had their chance but had not stepped up so he was now backing the new scheme.

Coun Henley (Lab Brandwood) was part of the old NHS Primary Care Trust which put the £2 million on the table.

He said: "We allocated £2 million for the Wake Green Surgery to move but the surgery never took up the offer. So no medical centre and no access road."

He gave his full support to the change of plan.

And pointed out that M&S was far more popular in Moseley than a Tesco store which had previously been proposed and rejected.

Coun Martin Straker-Welds (Lab Moseley and Kings Heath) supported the new plan, but added: "It's a shame the medical centre won't be built."

The new building will be a restaurant or cafe with 8 sheltered flats above. There will also be 14 sheltered apartments above the Marks and Spencer shop.