Shrewsbury GP growth plan as another surgery is axed
A Shrewsbury GP surgery is seeking permission to expand after a nearby medical practice shut down.
Belvidere Medical Practice has applied to Shropshire Council for permission to extend its surgery.
Earlier this year, the nearby Whitehall Medical Practice closed after a new provider could not be found to deliver the service.
Now GPs at Belvidere have submitted a planning application asking for permission to increase the size of the buildings, creating more patient rooms and storage space.
In the planning application, Batch Valley Designs, on behalf of the surgery, said: "The patient base is in growth due to the closure of another practice in the area. Planning permission has also been granted for 600 houses on Preston Street which is likely to create an increase in patient numbers as these houses become occupied. To cater for this growth, the practice is looking to extend in both size and number of practising GPs.
"The practice has a planning restriction of three GPs practising at any one time. This proposal seeks to gain approval to increase the size of the practice by extending the building at the rear creating more patient rooms and storage space. The proposal also includes the removal of the GP restriction as mentioned earlier, allowing more than three GP’s to work at any one time to help cater for the increase in the number of patients.
It adds: "The proposed scheme retains much of the existing working layout, with the main entrance and reception desk staying in the same place.
"The new layout is simple, using existing areas of the building for more efficient use and retaining the current access to the reception desk. The existing inner waiting area will be partitioned to create one extra patient room. The larger waiting area will be retained."
The extension to the rear of the building will create two further patient rooms, a toilet and a second fire exit.
The application will now go before the council's planning committee.
