Plans to open an “urgently needed” dental surgery on a business park have been refused.

The Amalgam Removal Centre wanted to open a first floor practice in Oakdale Unit on Ellesmere Business Park.

Applicant Dr Satish Chappiti said the town had only one dental practice and another was needed.

But Shropshire Council has refused permission for the plans saying they fear it would result in potential loss of employment numbers for the park and also generate too much off-street parking.

In the application, agent David Parker said Dr Chappiti wanted to operate the surgery two days a week to begin with.

He added: “This planning application proposes the change of use of a first floor office to a dental surgery, at units 20-21 Ellesmere Business Park.

“The ground floor offices and remaining ground floor warehousing space are currently occupied by Oakdale, a long-established business supplying adjustable beds

“He proposes to operate a standard dental surgery from the offices, initially opening only two days a week, but eventually extending to five days.

“Opening hours will be 8am to 5pm. There are no internal building alterations proposed. Instead, the open-plan office will be subdivided by movable screens.

“There is currently only one dental practice in Ellesmere, serving a population of nearly 5,000 and thus a new practice is urgently needed.

“Dr Chappiti has explored renting potential premises in the town centre, and although some properties are available to let, the rents are too high.

“They are also much older buildings, and the running costs are high.

“Instead, the intention is to create a very nice atmosphere for patients in this modern and spacious office unit, with plenty of parking available on the doorstep.

“Units 20-21 have adequate parking and turning space to the side and rear of the building, for approximately 32 cars.

“It will be a condition of the lease that six of these spaces are reserved for the proposed dental surgery.

“The applicants also wish to point out that there are examples locally of dental practices located within industrial estates, including Dental Spa (Oxon Business Park, Shrewsbury) and Butterfly Dental Laboratory (Maesbury Road Industrial Estate, Oswestry).”

However, Shropshire Council planning officers have refused permission.

Ian Kilby, development manager, said: “Insufficient information has been submitted with the application to allow an assessment as to whether the loss of this protected employment area is justified in local plan policy terms.

“It is considered that the scheme includes insufficient off-street parking for the traffic that could potentially be generated by the proposed use, this would be likely to cause vehicles to be parked on the estate road and conflicting with the movement of other vehicles; to the detriment of the free flow of traffic and highway safety.”