An applicant for a pharmacy in Walton has moved to reassure residents it will not be giving out methadone to recovering heroin addicts.

A planning application has been submitted to Elmbridge Council to build a single-storey extension at Walton Health Centre to provide a pharmacy, and a licence has already been granted by Surrey Primary Care Trust.

Councillor Andrew Kelly said: “I was told by a pharmacist if you get a 100-hour licence you have to provide methadone.

“My biggest concern is the length of hours they are opening.

“That is a residential area, not a parade of shops, and opening until 11pm at night in the week in that area, where there are going to be more people, does cause concern.”

Speaking on behalf of the applicant, Ambika Wadhwa said: “The pharmacy will not provide the following non essential services as under EN1 supervised administration (consumption of prescribed medicines) and EN2 needle and syringe exchange.

“This will be a community pharmacy and is meant for the needs of the community.

“We would not choose to do that service at all. Methadone is a specialised service. That is an extra service and only essential services will be provided. ” 

Coun Kelly also said he was concerned about parking and the traffic, but the plans state the pharmacy is not anticipated to increase congestion.

A Rodney Road resident, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, said: “Everyone has their vices, but you don’t want kids walking to school with people walking around with dirty syringes.”

An NHS spokeswoman said: “A range of enhanced services such as smoking cessation, emergency contraception, needle exchange and supervised consumption of methadone are commissioned individually according to the needs of local people outlined in a pharmaceutical needs assessment of the area.

“No enhanced services have yet been commissioned as part of this current contract for a pharmacy at Walton Health Centre.”

The application is due to be discussed at the north area planning sub-committee meeting on Monday, May 28.