A GP surgery in Tenbury Wells has been told it can expand after outgrowing its current building.

The Teme Street surgery submitted an application to expend its current premises to Malvern Hills District Council in October.

A design and access statement submitted with the application said the proposed extension would provide an additional three consulting rooms, while the works would also reconfigure the car park to continue to provide eight spaces at the surgery in Tenbury town centre.

The statement said the expansion was needed as the NHS has moved towards providing more services within primary care buildings since the surgery first opened, while Tenbury Wells Surgery has also seen an increase in their patient list, which they are struggling to accommodate within the existing building.

The application said the proposed extension would use land to the east of the surgery, within the existing car park, and would emulate the existing building form, continuing the roof line. The windows would match the existing building, the application said, while care has been taken to make the extension inconspicuous as it is within Tenbury's conservation area and attached to a grade II listed building.

The design and access statement said that the plans would allow for services to continue to be provided at the surgery while works are carried out, with minimal disruption to the existing building.

A planning officer's report said the main issues to consider were the impact on the conservation area, neighbouring amenities, ecology, and highways, but recommended the application be approved by planners.

The report said that the proposal had been carefully designed and would not be likely to have much of an impact on nearby listed buildings, while the extension would be small in relation to the existing building. Access to the surgery would remain the same, the report said, while access from the car park would be improved.

The application was approved with conditions in December.