Thorp Arch Estate Leeds: Plans for specialist veterinary referral centre for small animals near Wetherby unveiled

Located about one mile from the villages Thorp Arch and Boston Spa, and four miles west of Wetherby, the area comprises a range of warehouses, factories and small business units in a parkland setting.

In the planning application, submitted to Leeds City Council on July 24, 2023, Dr Stuart Cooke for Vita Referrals said the new centre would be “a new specialist veterinary referral centre for small animals which will provide high level clinical services including orthopaedics, rehabilitation and neurosurgery (spinal surgery)”.

He added: “Facilities will include consulting rooms, theatres, a dog ward, cat ward, treatment rooms, theatre prep room, X-Ray Room, CT Scanner, offices, change rooms and WC’s, waste and laundry room, staff areas, meeting room and waiting area. 

The surgery, which would be for referrals only, would be in operation 24/7. But core opening hours would be Monday to Friday between 8AM and 6PM, with professional staff working shifts outside these hours when needed.

It would also create 15 full time roles, with a shift pattern in place with no more than eight employees at the site at any time.

The currently vacant Unit 190 has a floor area of around 328 square metres, and the plans include alterations including partial demolition, new doors and windows, rooflights and external cladding.

The building has previously been used by various occupiers for B1 (businesses such as offices) and mainly for B8 use (warehouse and open air storage), and has 10 parking spaces, with the news plans hoping to have 14 dedicated spaces with additional parking available on the wider commercial site.

Any comments are to be submitted by Tuesday August 22, with internal target date Monday September 18.