Residential plans put forward for former Manor House surgery in Long Stratton

A dental surgery that left thousands of patients in the lurch when it suddenly closed could be turned into housing.

The former Manor House surgery in Long Stratton would become a family home under plans lodged with South Norfolk Council.

The surgery, on the A140, closed more than two years ago, exacerbating the shortage of dentists blighting the county, which has been described as a “dental desert”.

But rather than reopening its doors to patients, the treatment rooms at Manor House are now set to be turned into bedrooms.

The new plans seek permission from South Norfolk Council to change the use of the building from commercial to residential.

The Grade-II listed property was once a retail shop with living accommodation but had been used as a surgery for more than 40 years.

The building has been vacant since the Manor House dental surgery’s shock closure in August 2022.

The surgery owed £992,800 to a host of different organisations when it shut its doors, including a £444,245 debt to NHS England.

The closure of the surgery was another blow for Norfolk’s dental services.The Norfolk and Waveney area has the worst ratio of NHS dentists to patients in the country, with just one for every 2,776 people.

Despite previous efforts to bring the surgery back into use, the owners of the building have struggled to find commercial tenants.

The new plans would result in the former waiting area and treatment rooms being turned into three bedrooms.

The ground floor of the building would be refitted with living spaces including a lounge and kitchen.

These proposals will be considered by South Norfolk Council in due course.