A LONG-RUNNING planning wrangle in Meltham is just what the doctor DIDN'T order.
And the shelves look set to remain empty at Rowlands Pharmacy in Station Street while the stand-off continues.
Rowlands followed the Meltham Group Practice surgery hundreds of yards out of Meltham village centre in 2001.
Both buildings are now near the Safeway supermarket.
Rowlands applied for full retail planning permission.
They got permission to build their pharmacy - but with a condition that they could not sell any items whatsoever.
Now, they are simply a prescription chemist.
The owners of the bare shop, who have organised a petition against the strict planning condition, say the situation is unprecedented.
But councillors are adamant the ban will remain while they continue to push for a chemist's shop to re-open in the village centre.
Rowlands' area manager David Capstick said: "We moved fully expecting to get full retail planning permission.
"To be honest, we have never heard of it not being passed.
"It's all or nothing. It's fine if they didn't want us to sell cosmetics, but not to be able to sell medicines is ridiculous.
"Our emphasis is on the patient and they are not getting the full service they deserve.
"From a patient's viewpoint it's just ludicrous."
He said Kirklees Council's planning department did not fully grasp the nature of the pharmacy business.
"It's providing a health service. All the local doctors are on our side."
But John Bakanoba, chairman of Meltham Town Council, said the retail conditions were attached to help keep a chemist in the village centre.
"Rowlands were to prescribe but not to operate as a chemist. That was a condition that they knew about. We wanted the chemist shop to stay in the centre of the village."
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