The Bridge Veterinary Surgery Highbridge set to relocate

Plans have been approved by Somerset Council for The Bridge Veterinary Surgery to convert empty offices at Unit 4, Works 22, Bennett Road into a new premises.

In the application submitted in April, the surgery applied to 'relocate and expand an existing practice' 

The two-storey building at the Works 22 estate will be converted to become a new vets for small animals, made up of four consultation rooms.

The practice, suited best to family pets, will be open from 8:30am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 12pm on Saturdays. An out of hours visiting service will also be offered.

Speaking on plans to renovate the building, a spokesperson for the Bridge Veterinary Surgery wrote in the application: "The change of use involves minor external changes to doors and windows and the installation of an external lift and the instillation of an external gas storage unit, external plant, and dog walking area.

 "These are all standard requirements for a veterinary practice."

Speaking further on the proposed dog walking area, they wrote: "As a small animal veterinary practice, a small enclosed external dog walking area is necessary to allow brief exercise sessions for dogs.

"This external enclosed area can have various surface treatments, fencing options and dimensions."

The applicant plans to utilise the existing 31 parking spaces on the site for customer usage.

"This is an ideal provision for the proposed veterinary practice, and it will ensure adequate parking is available for staff and visitors," they wrote in the planning application.

All of the staff at the current practice will be retained, and two new additional jobs will be created as a result of the larger premises.

The site of the new practice - Unit 4 on the Works 22 industrial estate -  was formerly occupied by Colus, a water utility company which has since closed down.

For more information on the plans, search reference number 11/24/00025 on Somerset Council's online planning portal.