Planning permission for a specialist dental surgery at Parc Menai in Bangor has been approved, saving patients having to travel as far as Liverpool or Manchester for treatment.
The facility will provide specialist dentist services not available elsewhere in north Wales, providing treatments such as dental implants and for gum disease.
Given the complexity as well as the unique and innovative nature of the work of the proposed dental practice, patients would come to Parc Menai from all over North Wales, and there are currently no Dental Restorative Specialists in North Wales within the private sector, with many patients going to England for treatment.
Gwynedd’s planning committee voted in favour of the proposal, despite planning officers recommending they vote against, because they thought Parc Menai was the wrong place for the facility.
A previous proposal for the Dental Surgery was rejected in June 2020 and a report from planning officers continued to raise concerns that the proposals would contravene local planning policies.
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 accessible, highlighting that other dental practices in north Wales were located on business parks.
Councillor Menna Baines, the local member for Pentir, welcomed the idea 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.”
The plans were approved unanimously, subject to conditions including the restoration of the unit to its original intended use when or the dental surgery closes.
