An Isle of Wight vets will be moving into a prominent empty building in the heart of Newport.
County Hall has given Wight Vets planning consent to turn Red Cross House, a vacant former British Red Cross headquarters on Hunnycross Way, into a veterinary surgery.
Wight Vets’s current clinic is at 15 Chapel Street in Newport.
Its plans include ‘minor external alterations’ to the existing Hunnycross Way premises as well as a ‘complete internal fit-out’, according to a Design and Access Statement written by Goolden Designs LLP.
It says:
“The previous use of the premises was the Red Cross Headquarters…they vacated the site in May 2024. My client saw a unique opportunity to occupy these premises to safeguard their business’s future within Newport.
“Since 2022 their business (Wight Vets) has gone from strength to strength. My clients made a bold move to purchase these premises when they came on the market in May 2024 after an extensive searching of the area for a suitable property that not only can house their immediate needs but that of the future and be in a position that is accessible to all their clients.
“The existing business will transfer over to these new premises with their existing staff members once the conversion works are completed and, in the future, will as standard offer local employment for trained veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses together with support staff as demand arises for further staff.”
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Justifying the approval, planning officers wrote:
“The proposal would allow for the re-use of previously developed land, supporting the economy and providing employment and offering a useful service.
“The proposed external alterations and materials are considered in-keeping with the prevailing character of the area and the appearance in this locality.
“Given the previous use of the site as an established commercial/office/employment use and the surrounding uses, as well as the separation distances from residential properties and conditions to be imposed on hours of use, officers consider that the proposal would not result in any harmful impacts on neighbouring properties.”
A total of 5 conditions were attached to the consent for reasons of legal and planning policy compliance, highway safety and residential amenity.
I think that most people would agree that most vets are to put it politely are a ripe of let’s hope the new premises assure in a new era of lower prices
Vets are like Dentists, they make Dick Turpin
look like a nice guy.