Specialist dental surgery in Bangor to save patients from long trips

Rural counties such as Gwynedd have suffered from the closure of dental practices in recent years

A specialist dental surgery has been approved for an empty business unit in Gwynedd, saving patients travelling as far as Liverpool or Manchester.

Gwynedd's planning committee defied officers who said Parc Menai in Bangor was the wrong place for the facility.

Members said it would also fill the gap in day-to-day dentistry left by closures in Caernarfon and Colwyn Bay.

One councillor accused officers of "splitting hairs over policy" when the county needed dental services.

The facility will provide specialist dentist services not available elsewhere in north Wales, members of the planning committee heard, such as dental implants and gum disease.

With a previous proposal being rejected last year, an officers' report continued to raise concerns that the proposals would contravene planning policies, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The unit earmarked for the practice has been vacant since 2018

They pointed out that Parc Menai was outside the development boundary, and designated for "specialist employment use".

However, applicant Dr Mike Hughes said the location was ideal and "easy to get to", pointing to other dental practices in north Wales based on business parks.

• Lack of dentists will persist says health board

• Contracts 'keep dentists from poorer areas'

• Town's only NHS dentist to close

Councillor Menna Baines, the local member for Pentir, welcomed the prospect of "a modern practice concentrating on specialist and difficult issues".

"Usually patients from Gwynedd and Anglesey must travel to Liverpool or Manchester for such treatment," she added.

"It would also offer day-to-day dental work and the lack of dentists in the area is a big problem."

Another councillor, Louise Hughes, accused officers of "splitting hairs over policy" while Gwynedd was suffering a lack of dental services.

The plans were approved unanimously, subject to conditions including the restoration of the unit to its original intended use when or if its designation as a dental surgery comes to an end.