Wellsway Dental Surgery in Bath plans to turn part of its large rear garden into a car park.
The dental practice on Wellsway in Bath
The parking spaces available at the front have become “insufficient” for the needs of the patients, says the planning application submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council.
A significant factor has been the introduction of the Residents’ Parking Zone (RPZ) in Bear Flat in 2019, which included turning all existing on-street parking bays into permit-only parking bays, limited time parking and no parking in certain areas.
The front courtyard of No. 56 Wellsway currently has eight patient parking spaces, including a disabled space.
There is a driveway down one side of the building which is currently used for two staff parking spaces.
The proposals will result in the loss of one parking space at the front and two at the side to make way for the access to the rear.
The proposed new parking area at the back will provide eight spaces for customers and staff.
The front courtyard area will be re-configured to accommodate seven parking spaces, including a disabled space.
In total the number of parking spaces will increase from eight to 15.
Cars will enter using the southern access and exit from the northern access.
The planning application says the practice is extremely busy, providing much-needed dental services for the residents of Bath and surrounding villages. The building also houses a chiropractor’s clinic.
With a shortage of dentists, it is increasingly the case that patients are now coming from many miles away, including many of the surrounding rural villages.
Approximately 75% of dental patients access the surgery by car and for the chiropractor, nearly all appointments are made by car.
Although Wellsway is on a major bus route, because of where many of the patients live, bus services are either unavailable or do not offer an appropriate timetable to get them to and from their appointments.
The application says the level of noise and disturbance that will be created from the new car park is considered to be “low level” and has to be balanced against the general background noise of a built-up urban location.
The new parking area will comprise just over half the rear garden. A number of trees there and some at the front will be felled, with the application acknowledging that replacement tree planting is likely to be required.
The planning reference is 25/00748/FUL. The deadline for comments is 27th March.
