PLANS to expand a dental clinic have been given the go-ahead despite parking concerns.

Burnley Council has approved plans to build a two-storey extension to Queensgate Dental Practice in the town.

The extension, which will be located at the back of the surgery, will be double the size of the current practice and include two new consulting rooms, a ramp and railings.

Bosses at the Colne Road practice submitted a planning application to the borough council requesting the extension in April because of the need to expand its facilities.

The property currently has two consulting rooms and provides a range of treatments from general dentistry to implants and teeth whitening, but has no car park.

Lancashire County Council, the highway authority, objected to the proposal due to the absence of parking.

A spokesman said: “From Burnley’s emerging Local Plan it is expected that a medical health facilities such as this would have four car parking spaces per consulting room thus an establishment with four consulting rooms would require 16 spaces.

“There has been no provision made for any off-street parking. While there is some on-street parking it is noted that one side of Shuttleworth Street has an existing TRO (traffic regulation order) which prohibits ‘Waiting At Any Time’. This is not an ideal situation.”

Councillors debated the proposal during Tuesday’s development control committee at Burnley Town Hall, which had been recommended for approval by planning officers.

Cllr Frank Cant, vice-chairman of the council’s development committee, said: “I’m surprised this has been put for approval.

“In the many years I have served on this committee we take great authority from what highways say.

“There is no car park and there are only two or three street parking spaces available which, I would imagine, are used by the staff.

“If the practice wants to expand I would want it somewhere more appropriate than this particular place.”

Other committee members, however, gave their support to the application.

Ward councillor Sue Graham, executive member for economic growth, said: “It’s a long established dental practice and has been there for 40 years and is well used by the residents.

“The fact it has never had any parking has not been a problem at all. There is plenty of on road parking spaces along Colne Road and you can find a spot somewhere there. It’s also on a busy bus route.”

Cllr Marcus Johnstone also backed the application and said there was an issue regarding the number of dentists in Burnley.

The Labour councillor added: “Getting a dentist in Burnley is an issue. It took me a day round finding a local dentist and I could not get one.”

Councillors voted in favour of the application.