A FORMER health centre in Prestatyn is to get a new lease of life as a veterinary surgery after being closed for more than eight months.

AllPets Veterinary Surgery on Fern Avenue is relocating to larger premises at the former Central Surgery on Ffordd Pendyffryn, which has been empty since June last year.

Richard Ryvar, founder of AllPets, said: “We are proud of the practice we have built and think it’s better us than the building being a big ghost building or taken over by a global chain such as a fast food restaurant which, ultimately, erodes the character of any town.

“The move will create a handful of new jobs too, along with enabling us to attain training status to bring on the next generation of veterinary nurses and vets.”

Mr Ryvar, originally from Wrexham, currently employs 16 staff.

As the building – which was replaced as hub for Healthy Prestatyn Iach by the former Denbighshire Council offices at Ty Nant, off Nant Hall Road – is already listed for medical use, Mr Ryvar does not require planning permission to convert it into a veterinary surgery.

He added: “We are planning separate cat and dog waiting areas, along with separate cattery and kennels, plus dedicated sterile and non-sterile operating theatres and an imaging and investigations suite.

“The separate dog and cat facilities are something that a lot of practices, including us currently, do not offer.”

Work is planned to be completed this summer.

The veterinary practice is seeking other Prestatyn businesses to share the ample space in the Ffordd Pendyffryn building.