Conversion to new veterinary clinic, Crosby 2018
We were approached by our client, Kate Higgins of Village Vets Formby, at the London Vet Show in November 2017 to discuss the potential for converting an empty shell building, in Crosby, into a veterinary practice – a second branch for the Village Vets.
The building space was being developed as part of a wider development with retail shops and offices being taken up throughout the rest of the building. The first-floor space was available, and Kate immediately saw the potential. It had parking provisions to the back of the building, a High Street presence at the front and a large lift already installed.
Large windows at the front and back of the floor offered excellent natural lighting and although not all of the walls were completely straight, at about 350m2 it was a great space for the new branch.
We started working on a layout, making use of the natural light, and developing a flow that was going to work for the vets. This is always an iterative process as every client is different but using our experience in the sector, it wasn’t long before we found something that suited their needs.
It was then time to get the Change of Use planning permission. Planning always takes somewhere between 8 and 12 weeks so instead of wasting this time, and as we were confident that the Change of Use was going to be granted, our client commissioned us to move forward with the detailed drawings for tender. This meant that when planning was granted, we were able to move straight on with finding a contractor.
We had a few local companies price for the work but eventually the project was awarded to Affinity Contractors; shop fitters who had been working on other buildings in the local area. The contractors were excellent and although this was their first vet practice, they completed it to a very high standard and both ourselves and our client were extremely happy with the finished product.
Furthermore, the works were completed on time and just before the London Vet Show 2018 – meaning that the whole project had been turned around just inside of the year!
You can read more about this project in Kate’s own words in the Vet Times, or even watch the video!
