Dental surgery plan would add 10,000 NHS places

ALMOST 10,000 extra NHS dentist places could become available in St Neots as part of £500,000 dental practice expansion plan.

Priory Park Dental Surgery in Almond Road, St Neots, has submitted a planning application to transfer its services to a larger building at 29-31 New Street.

The existing Almond Street site operates two surgery rooms, but if allowed to expand the owners have said they will open a five surgery premises in New Street.

Gawain King, who owns the surgery with business partner Jaco Craig, told The Hunts Post the plan would see an investment of more than half a million pounds.

Mr King said the move was needed as they had outgrown the current building.

He said: "We do not have enough space anymore. With the population of St Neots set to increase we have the potential to expand to create a more modern, comfortable and spacious space for staff and patients and hopefully new jobs."

He said added that although the surgery still had spaces available for NHS patients, the expansion was needed in preparation for the town's population growth which will be brought about by the development of Loves Farm and other areas of the town.

Mr King said that if the move went ahead the surgeries existing customers would be transferred to the new site.

He said: "We currently have about 10,000 patients on our books and if the application is granted we would look at almost doubling the number of patients we have. But this would take place over a few years and could create one of the biggest dental surgeries in the town."

Huntingdonshire District Council planners are due to make a decision on the application by August 8. If given the go-ahead the new surgery could open in January 2009.

INFORMATION: To view the application in full, visit www.huntsdc.gov.uk and search for planning application number 0801637FUL.