Preston dentist's expansion gets the green light amid surge in demand
A private dental practice in a Preston suburb has been told it can expand its operations to meet what it says is “growing patient demand”.
XO Dental currently occupies the ground floor of premises at the junction of Watling Street Road and East Road in Fulwood.
Preston City Council has now granted permission for the surgery to take over the vacant second-storey of the building, which was previously a residential flat.
In a planning application lodged with the authority, the practice said it wanted to create additional clinical capacity and administrative space, while “enhancing patient flow and privacy”.
The number of surgery rooms will increase from three to four, while an additional two staff are expected to be taken on, bringing the total to eight.
City council planners noted that the six on-site parking spaces available for staff and clients fell short of the 16 stipulated by local planning policy for a facility of the size proposed.
However, Lancashire County Council highways officials offered no objection to the changes, after receiving reassurances that use of the practice is by appointment only, with slots being “carefully scheduled along with staff shifts to alleviate parking pressure”.
The location is also served by several bus routes and so the plans were not deemed to have such an adverse impact on parking and highway safety that they would merit refusal.
The approved physical alterations will be almost entirely internal, with the only change to the outside of the building - which used to house an art gallery - being the addition of air conditioning condenser units.