Staff at a tiny doctors’ surgery are celebrating a major step forward in their fight to triple the size of their premises.

Since 2004 Mount Chambers Surgery has been campaigning for new and more modern facilities but has had seven bids either rejected or postponed.

Its latest business case, which sets out the need for a new building, was approved by the NHS Essex Area Team on December 19 and the surgery is now in talks over a potential new site.

The Coggeshall Road surgery, which has about 13,700 patients, closed its register in summer last year due to lack of space.

It was given a grant by the NHS Essex Area Team to convert a kitchen area into a consultation room and lastThursday reopened its register.

Practice manager Peter Hadfield said: “We are hoping for a brand new surgery at a brand new site about three times the size of ours, which would mean we were about average size.

“It would be a modern, clean facility for patients with enough facilities to provide more services.

“It is a major step forward after all this waiting.

“Everybody is very please and relieved.

“NHS England area team have been very helpful.”