A TWO-STOREY veterinary centre is being planned for a Sherborne business park which could create up to eight extra jobs.

Dorset Council is being asked to approve a planning request for the centre and associated car parking at Plot 6, Barton View Business Park, off Sheeplands Lane.

The application has been submitted by Newton Clarke Veterinary Surgeons which has centres in Sherborne and Yeovil.

The company say their existing Sherborne surgery has reached capacity and proposed to move the service to the business park site with opening hours of 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday; 9am to 2pm on Saturdays and 9am to noon on Sundays.

It says that, on average, the existing surgery carries out 40 consultations per day operating from two consulting rooms but from the new site will be able to double this, using four consulting rooms throughout the working day.

The clinical space proposed will be arranged to provide separate cat and dog wards, a preparation room with workstations, operating theatres, an imaging suite and a separate Isolation ward, laboratory and CT scanning room.

The first floor will have staff facilities and offices with a staff room and kitchen area as well as a large meeting room.

The company say eight full time and two part time staff are expected to transfer to the new site, if Dorset Council give approval, with plans to increase staff numbers by 6-8 within three years of opening the new surgery.