A cosmetic surgery clinic in the Mendip Hills will be allowed to continue operating after retrospective plans were approved without debate.

Dr Ian Strawford runs the Skin Excellence Clinic, which is based within the Cheese Yard complex in West Horrington.

Dr Strawford began running the clinic on the ground floor of one of the buildings in February 2019 without planning permission, and applied for a change of use retrospectively.

Mendip District Council has now ruled that the clinic can continue to operate, granting permission without any public debate.

Details of the proposal were published before a meeting of the council's planning board yesterday evening (May 19).

The council's planning policies allow its planning board to vote to accept an officer's recommendation (whether to approve or refuse planning permission) without public discussion – even if the application in question is listed on the agenda for a public meeting.

The council has used this numerous times in the past – mainly on applications relating to the Commerce Park in Frome, where policy dictates all decisions regarding the site (however minimal) must come before a public meeting.

In the case of the Cheese Yard clinic, the application was considered in public since the land is owned by Mike Pullin – who is also the district councillor for the local St Cuthbert Out North ward.

Planning officer Callum Pearce said in his written report: "The application site would provide an enterprise within a diversified former farmstead.

"There would be benefits to the local economy and employment opportunities through expansion. No physical works are proposed to the exterior of the barn, which retains its historic farmstead visual aesthetic as approved under historic applications.

"There are residential uses within the area, to the east and north, but these have been operating alongside the existing commercial uses for many years, so the retrospective change of use is considered to have no further impact on neighbouring amenity compared to the existing uses on site."

The clinic currently operates between 8.30am and 5.30pm on weekdays, and employs the equivalent of four full-time staff.

The board voted to approve the retrospective plans without discussion by a margin of 12 votes to none, with two abstentions (including Mr Pullin, who could take no part in any debate or discussion).