By Chris Cornford
A former GP surgery in Lake could become a house after doctors sold the building.
In a planning application to the Isle of Wight Council, applicant Mrs P. Nel is asking to change the use of the Lake branch of the Beech Grove Surgery, on Sandown Road, into a three-bedroom home.
The GP surgery, which had another branch in Brading, shut in March last year with more than 4,500 patients moved to other practices, as the doctors handed back their contract to the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group.
The services were ended despite a petition launched to save primary care outlets, due to a failure to recruit GPs to the Island and significant costs in finding another locations for the Lake branch. With NHS England not taking ownership of the building, doctors sold the branch in December.
In planning documents, the building which has been empty since March is described as deteriorating rapidly and not suitable for patient use as it would need a lot of modernization to bring it up to current standards.
Plans indicate the front door of the building would be removed but the larger shop windows would remain.
To view the plans or comment on the application, 21/00123/FUL, go to the council’s planning portal. Comments will be accepted until March 5, 2021.
Press Release