THOUSANDS of patients will soon have access to an NHS dentist after councillors approved plans for three new dental surgeries.

Members of Bournemouth's planning committee went against officers' advice to grant permission for the expansion of the surgery in Kinson Park Road.

Planning officers had expressed concerns that the lack of car parking at the site would mean visitors clogging up nearby roads.

And they said a full-time surgery operating six days a week would be out of character with the residential area.

But, after hearing pleas from surgery owner Brenda Portman and Martyn Rogers, Bournemouth Primary Care Trust's dental services commissioning manager, councillors came to a different conclusion.

Mrs Portman recalled her delight at believing her dental surgery was "saved" when she was contacted by Integrated Dental Holdings with a view to taking over and expanding her business.

"In 30 something years I've never had a complaint from local residents," she said.

"You now have this great opportunity, it can only benefit the community. Please give me encouragement, not objections."

And Mr Rogers said a further 4,000 patients would benefit from the expansion.

He said the Dorset Dental Helpline took on average 13,500 calls a year from people wanting to register with an NHS dentist and a further 7,500 calls from people in need of emergency treatment.

Cllr Beryl Baxter, who represents the adjoining ward of Kinson South, said: "If the residents nearby don't have any objections to the facility then I can't really see that they are any grounds for actually refusing this."

The only councillor to vote against approval of the plans was Cllr John Beesley, who said the planning officers' objections were sound.

"Because we're desperate for dental practices in this borough, we're prepared to be fairly flexible over the interpretation of policy," he said. "That is not good planning."

First published: May 18