YORK could be in line for a new dental surgery - if planners agree.

Leeds-based dental consultancy Crystal Clear Dental Solutions has put in an application to City of York Council's planning department to put a new surgery on the corner of Stonegate and Blake Street.

The company wants to convert the first, second and third floors of the grade two listed Georgian building into a surgery. The space, which measures nearly 200 square metres, is currently vacant offices.

The Press understands that if the scheme goes ahead, the surgery would be used purely for private patients and not for the NHS.

York-based planning consultant Raymond Barnes, the agent for the application, said in a report to planning bosses that it was not proposed to make any alterations to the outside of the building.

He said: "Internally, the building is already divided up into a number of rooms of varying sizes, which will readily adapt for use as surgeries, waiting areas, reception, staff offices and ancillary accommodation.

"The proposal involves the provision of a new dental surgery in a highly accessible and sustainable city centre location.

"The premises have been marketed by the agents for some nine months, but have proved difficult to re-let due to their irregular and inter-connected internal arrangement, which does not suit modern-day office use, but which is ideal for the proposed use.

"The proposal will re-introduce an appropriate use into a listed building within the core of the city centre and within the conservation area.

"It can be achieved without any adverse impact on the historic environment, whilst providing a facility of benefit to the community."

If the surgery goes ahead, it will operate between 8am and 6pm from Monday to Friday, and from 9am to noon on Saturdays and Sundays if necessary.

Eight people would be employed at the practice when it is up and running.

York council has not yet decided whether to grant permission to Crystal Clear Dental Solutions to install its surgery.

Planners aim to have made a decision by May 7.


Benefit for city patients

THE firm behind the proposed new private dental surgery says it will benefit the York community - but that is unlikely to be of much comfort to thousands of people waiting for an NHS dentist.

Last week our sister paper, the Gazette & Herald, reported how 7,000 people across Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale were on an NHS dental waiting list set up by the area's primary care trust (PCT).

At the beginning of this year it was estimated that 3,000 people in York and Selby were on the list.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire and York PCT - which hands out NHS dental contracts across the county - has said that despite the number of people who registered their names on its waiting list, many were eventually found not to need a dentist. This was either because they had made other arrangements, or for other reasons.