A PROPOSAL has been submitted to the Test Valley Borough Council to convert the dental practice into two ground-floor flats.

Smile Arts Studio Pvt Ltd, located at 31 Junction Road, may soon undergo a significant transformation.

The application, which is prepared as a full planning application, seeks approval for the change of use.

However, if the business were to close and the premises remain vacant for a period of three months, the owners could apply for prior approval under permitted development. In this case, the change of use would not require a full planning application.

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According to the planning application, the owners are looking to close the dental surgery due to business factors as they currently operate two other such practices in Andover.

Utility costs, patient accessibility, and the need for upgrades have been cited as the primary reasons behind the decision to close the dental surgery.

According to the application, the premises at Junction Road has a small parking area that often struggles to meet the demands of staff and patients. In contrast, ample parking space is available to support the proposed domestic requirements.

The owners have expressed concerns about the current facilities' ability to meet the standards set by the Care Quality Commission and the NHS.

In the coming years, significant upgrades would be required to maintain acceptability. Consequently, the owners consider it a sound business decision to merge the Junction Road practice with their other location in order to provide a higher level of care.

Existing patients and staff will be transferred to other practices to maintain the provision of these services.

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The dental surgery building is situated on the corner of a residential street to the west of Andover town center.

At present, the plot consists of a detached main building along with an additional detached garage. The ground floor of the main building currently serves as the dental surgery, while a two-bedroom flat is located on the first floor.

The planning application highlights that the ground floor layout is well suited for residential purposes, as it was originally designed as a private dwelling.

Therefore, converting the ground floor into two flats would require no major alterations or extensions to the property.