A veterinary clinic is seeking permission to expand into an empty house which neighbours its premises.

Riverside Veterinary Clinic, in Abergavenny, also wants to build a single storey extension to link the surgery, on Brecon Road, to the house which has has been vacant for eight years.

The statement reads: “Services include veterinary and nurse consultations, pet behavioural counselling, travel vaccinations and checks, surgery, laser treatment, acupuncture and diagnostics including x-ray and ultrasound examinations. The proposed work will enhance the availability of these services.”

Riverside Vets has grown from out of a semi-detached property with additional clinical rooms and a waiting room previously added to the side of the original property and currently treats more than 5,000 animals a year.

Expansion will see staffing numbers increase from 14 at present to 20 full-time equivalent posts with an additional part time staff member to be employed.

The area is within the Abergavenny Conservation Area and the building it is intended to convert was built in the early 20th century in an Edwardian style and its character would be retained with “minimal alterations” to public facing part and windows and door openings retained.

According to the statement: “The taller ground floor rooms will provide adequate height for air handling in the operating rooms. The specialist rooms will need to used by the veterinary surgeons for the treatment of a range of animals from the smallest rodent to the largest dog.”

The extension will also allow the surgery to offer a sleep-over room so patients can be monitored overnight which the application states can’t be done “comfortably within the current arrangements”.

The plans are being considered by Monmouthshire County Council’s planning department and members of the public have until Tuesday, September 23 to comment on the proposals.