Planners are urging councillors to reject plans to expand a pioneering dental surgery, citing concern over parking.

But the dentists say they have been offered overflow parking spaces by British Gas, and that more than half their patients walk to the Bromley Road surgery on the edge of Greenstead, Colchester.

An application for a first-floor extension has been lodged by the surgery, one of 15 promoted by the Government to offer preventive dental care.

The extra space would be used for an additional surgery and meeting room and the plan is backed by North Essex Health Authority and Colchester Primary Care Group.

In a report set to go before Colchester Council's planning and traffic committee tomorrow officers say parking provision is limited, with just three spaces for dentists and three for patients.

It adds that current parking standards require 12 spaces for the existing use and another three for the extension, and there is no site room to create any more spaces.

It recommends the plan be refused because more visiting traffic would make parking problems "unacceptable".

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