A PRIVATE hospital has been told it should consider “potentially relocating” after it launched an appeal when its expansion plans were thrown out.

FACEmed Cosmetic Medical and Dental Care, in Crays Hill, Billericay, wanted to create a new surgical entrance, reception and waiting area.

But Basildon Council rejected the proposals in February after concerns around “overdevelopment” and impact to neighbouring properties.

However, despite originally being recommended for approval ahead of a meeting in January, the plans were deferred until February.

After further concerns were raised, planning officers later changed their recommendation to refusal.

The independent hospital has now since submitted an appeal which will be heard by a planning inspector at a later date.

Craig Rimmer, one of the Basildon councillors on the planning committee, said: “The facility is in a residential area. The application was to extend the building to such a state that it would have been further out of keeping with the surrounding houses.

“In truth, the facility has clearly outgrown the site and should look at potentially relocating.”

The purpose-built CQC regulated independent hospital FACEmed opened in 2017.

The building consists of two levels with two entries, front and rear, for patients. It currently serves more than 2,000 patients both NHS and private.

In the plans, bosses said: “The proposed extension is required as the existing Centre requires more space to hold ample stock of medicines, equipment, instruments, and PPE.

“With more space the service can safely continue to cater for current patient numbers by solving internal logistical and spatial shortcomings.”

However, a number of concerns were raised around the design, scale, and massing of the development.

Officers concluded: “The proposed development by reason of its design, scale and massing will result in a cramped form of development and unsatisfactory layout which will result in a loss of separation between the existing commercial use and residential properties.

“In addition, the proposed extension will appear visually incongruous and out of keeping with the existing character of the residential area, which will adversely affect the visual amenity of the locality.”