PLANS to build a new veterinary hospital on land off Bickland Water Road in Falmouth would enable the area's largest practice to expand further and would secure 24 hour emergency care for pets and create new jobs.

The scheme put forward by the Rosemullion Veterinary Practice, however, is being opposed by both Falmouth Town Council and Budock Parish Council who claim the proposed two storey development is too large.

The practice, which now employs 14 veterinary surgeons, has branches in Penryn, Helston and Mitchell with its largest premises being in Melvill Road in Falmouth, which is an accredited tier three veterinary hospital - one of only two in Cornwall.

Without the new premises, the practice claims it would be unlikely to pass its next practice standards inspection which would lead to it losing its tier three hospital status. Without this the practice would no longer be required to provide onsite 24 hour emergency care for animals.

"Providing this service is extremely expensive for the practice and it may decided to cease this service," says the planning statement accompanying the application. "This would mean animals having to travel to the far side of Truro for emergency care outside normal working hours. In addition fewer staff would be required, therefore the levels of employment provided by the practice would decrease."

Due to the rapid expansion of the practice, its Falmouth hospital is now overcrowded for pets, clients and staff with the future development of the business being restricted by the size of the premises. There are only five parking spaces for clients, plus four for staff; only two consulting rooms and a single operating theatre and small prep room.

The proposed development would have three operating theatres, three consulting rooms plus three referrals rooms and a total of 50 parking spaces.

The planning statement adds: "The practice aims to provide high levels of veterinary care at an affordable price to pets and their owners in the Falmouth, Penryn and Helston areas. In each of these areas the pet owning populations are growing and there is consistently increasing demand for more complicated investigation, treatment and surgery.

"For Rosemullion to be able to meet the demand of theses services, it must dramatically increase its capacity in its central hospital where many of these procedures take place."

The application seeks permission to substitute a proposed B1 industrial/office unit, for which consent was won on appeal, with a two-storey building with D1 veterinary surgery and ancillary B1 use classes.

The application, though is being opposed by Falmouth Town Council, which is recommending Cornwall Council refuse it due to over-massing and increased height of building within close proximity to the highway compared to the previously submitted application.

Budock Parish Council is also objecting. It's recommendation says: "We objected to the original application which was for the development of this site with urgently needed B1 single storey units, (later granted on Appeal). History does show that the urgency for the buildings was not as such.

"We feel that the proposed massive two storey building will dominate the landscape, be out of character with the rest of the site, and have a detrimental visual impact on that area of Budock. We are also concerned that a new access to the site is shown on the plans, which is directly onto Bickland Water Road, crossing the proposed Sustrans route."