A Warrington dentist who urgently needs to expand his practice for much-needed dental services says he has been victimised by NIMBY residents after being refused planning permission for a new surgery.
Dentist Dr Andrew Brown has been successfully running Grappenhall Dental Practice on Knutsford Road for 18 years and although private, offers similar prices to the NHS and is one of only a few taking on new clients.
But he plan to expand by converting a car port at the former residential property into an additional downstairs surgery has been thwarted by Warrington planners following complaints from nearby residents regarding car parking issues
Dr Brown said: “I have been refused planning permission to add a much needed surgery to my existing 3 surgery dental practice in Grappenhall Warrington.
He said: “This is a much-needed service and would have provided more access to much needed dental services including for elderly and disabled patients due to additional down stairs surgery.
“The grounds for refusal were based on potential parking issues due to a small vocal minority of residents from the adjacent road to my practice.
“Unfortunately I have no facilty/space to provide additional parking spaces but I have operated my practice in this manner since 2006.
“We have always been considerate and courteous when parking and have urged our patients to do the same.
“There are many residential roads surrounding my practice on Knutsford road, Grappenhall. Georges crescent, Nicholls Street , Windsor Drive , Euclid Avenue , Mairesfield Avenue, which all have plenty of on street parking especially during normal office hours when most people are out at work. There is also on street parking available on Knutsford Road itself.
“This situation of parking in residential streets is identical in every town village or city in the UK.
“A small minority of vocal residents in Georges crescent decided to take objection to people parking in their road and especially outside their houses. They decided that my practice was to blame despite numerous other businesses ( with no car parking facilities) in the immediate vicinity.
“They have directed verbal abuse towards many members of the public, my patients included, including those parking for other businesses or reasons.
“And due to their objections, Warrington Borough Council have sided with them and refused permission to add a further surgery to my practice – even though there is absolutely no evidence to support these objections.
“My practice is an independent practice treating patients privately but for very similar prices to the NHS charges. We do not charge extremely high private prices seen at some private practices. In fact for the first approx 10 years we were actually cheaper than the NHS.
“We treat children up to 16 free of charge as long as their parents are registered attending patients of the practice – WE GET NO FUNDING FROM THE NHS.
“Unfortunately we are unable to see anyone entitled to free dental treatment as WE GET NO FUNDING FROM THE NHS.
“We are still accepting new patients in a climate where it is still extremely difficult to get an NHS dentist.
“We see emergencies every day with ease – unlike NHS dentists or even GP’s.
Dr Brown worked throughout the pandemic – treating patients face to face and looking after their dental needs throughout this extremely difficult time.
“We have a downstairs fully accessible practice AND surgery which is much needed for the elderly and disabled members of our community.
“Our practice would have been fully NHS but we were refused funding from the then local Primary Care Trust when Dr Brown set up the practice in 2006.
“We have excelled in looking after the community of Grappenhall and Warrington over the years and our success has meant we have needed to expand.
“We have no plans to change the ethos of our practice and will continue to look after our community at reasonable prices for many years to come.
“We have no plans to charge extortionate private fees
“We have no plans to sell out to a private corporate provider of dental services.
“During this difficult cost of living crisis services like ours are much needed and much sought after.
“You see stories in the media every other week about the problems with accessing NHS dental services , people resorting to DIY dentistry as they cant afford private fees or they cant get in to see a dentist.
“I am amazed that Warrington Borough council has chosen to listen to the small vocal NIMBY residents and are denying the community the chance to access our services.
“The parking issues that the small minority have complained about have been greatly exaggerated and quite simply staged on occasions.
“There are many other businesses in the immediate vicinity to my practice – the Co-op, Tesco, Pharmacy, Accountant, 2 chippies, barbers, cafe, veterinary practice and hairdressers – all of which have little or no parking.
“I am being victimised and discriminated against suggesting that it is all my patients and staff causing the parking issues.
“The needs of the many ( the community of Grappenhall / Warrington ) should outweigh the objections of the few noisy neighbours.
“My directly adjacent neighbours are all patients of the practice and have no concerns about the extra surgery.
“Many residents of Georges crescent and Nicholls Street are also patients and have no issues with parking.
“There was a slight issue with the junction of Georges Crescent and Knutsford Road with difficult emerging due to poor visibility but this has been resolved with the addition (with our support) of double yellows on the junction which has made the junction much safer.
“I am going to appeal the planning refusal but am hoping to gain some support for such a much needed addition to a very critical service which is essential to the local community of Grappenhall / Warrington.”
In refusing the application under delegated powers planners said insufficient information had been provided with the application to demonstrate that the proposal to add a 4th consulting room at the existing Dental Practice would not result in an unacceptable intensification of the existing use and consequently, that it would not result in an unsustainable increase in parking demand and detrimental impacts in terms of Highway safety.
Also no suitable provision has been proposed for cycle storage at the site. The requirement is to have dedicated, weatherproof and visible cycle provision for both staff and patients in order to encourage cycling as a mode of transport.
Insufficient information has been provided with the application to demonstrate that the proposal to add a 4th consulting room at the existing Dental Practice would not result in harm to the residential amenity of occupiers in surrounding roads by reason of an unsustainable increase in parking demand.
Residents on Georges Crescent said the road had been blocked by inconsiderate parking several times already and the police have been called about this. Patients of the dental surgery parked further up the Crescent, as the staff were taking up the parking at the bottom, usually in a rush and abandon their cars sometimes blocking the road. There was also dangerous parking at the end of the Crescent making it very difficult to see when leaving the Crescent. There were regular near misses on that corner.
