THREE badly-needed dental surgeries which would cater for 6,000 NHS patients are set to be refused planning permission - because they haven't got enough parking spaces.

Funding is already in place for three new surgeries in Kinson and dentists are eager to start taking on patients.

But despite the area having one of the lowest levels of NHS dentist provision in Bournemouth, councillors are being advised to reject the plans on Monday.

Planning officers claim insufficient parking spaces would force patients to park in nearby roads and say the surgeries would be out of character with the residential area.

Their stance has outraged local ward councillor Claire Prince, who says the council should do everything possible to secure the new surgeries.

She said: "We have a desperate need for NHS dentists here and I cannot see what the problem is.

"The fact is that we have got NHS dentists in this area raring to go, the funding's there and the Primary Care Trust is supportive - we should be biting their hands off."

The plans would see the current part-time dental surgery in Kinson Park Road transformed into three full-time surgeries. The exterior of the building would be untouched and all alterations would be carried out internally.

Owner Brenda Portman, who has run the surgery since 1972, said: We've already had to transfer 1,000 patients to other dentists and we are turning people away every day.

"I probably have 20 calls a day from people asking for help, they are desperate.

"My plan is to keep it completely NHS, I want to make sure everybody can have the treatment they deserve."

Earlier this year, Bournemouth Teaching Primary Care Trust revealed that just 58.7 of the town's adult population are registered with an NHS dentist.

Peter Littlewood, of design company Masonwood, has drawn up the plans for Integrated Dental Holdings, which would run the surgeries.

He said: "There is a major need for NHS dentists in this area - if councillors refuse it again, they have got guts. Why can't they just use common sense?"

Georgia Smith, Bournemouth council spokesperson, said: "We recognise that lack of dental provision is a key issue for the NHS locally.

"Key to this case is that there is no planning condition we can apply that will guarantee dental provision at this site is made for NHS patients, either in full or in part.

"Given that extra NHS dental spaces cannot be guaranteed, the effect on neighbours of an additional 6,000 patients coming and going in a residential area is a key factor.

"Officers have considered all the relevant issues and tried to give a balanced view to the planning board."

First published: May 12