A GP practice in Cirencester has submitted plans to expand in hopes of meeting growing patient demand.

Phoenix Health Group recently put forward a planning application to install a new temporary building in the grounds of its medical centre in Chesterton Lane.

The proposed Portakabin cabin would have a floor space of approximately 24.87 square metres and would be temporarily installed on the site for three years.

Proposals - which were submitted to Cotswold District Council on Thursday, July 11 - includes space for two separate consulting offices.

According to the planning application, the health group says the new building is required due to its “growing patient base” and a “lack of capacity”.

The Phoenix medical group currently runs five GP surgeries across the area including in South Cerney, Kemble, Tetbury, at the RAU as well as its site in Chesterton Lane.

It comes as plans were approved in November 2023 to build a new larger GP surgery and 27 homes off Cirencester Road in Tetbury.

A spokesperson from the Phoenix Health Group described their plans in Chesterton Lane to the Standard as a “temporary solution”.

“We have applied for planning permission to add two further Portakabin consulting rooms to our site in Chesterton Lane, Cirencester,” they said.

“These are part of a temporary solution to address a chronic lack of space, to care for patients, which is affecting all the practices in Cirencester.

“We have been working hard with Gloucestershire ICB and local developers to secure large enough modern accommodation to serve our patient’s needs, but this is taking time, and we need more space urgently.

“We hope that our new site in Tetbury will open in late 2025 and have ongoing discussions in Cirencester aimed at securing a new large enough home as soon as possible.”

One resident from Tetbury - who is a patient at Phoenix Tetbury - wrote a comment of support for the application.

They said: “It took the practice aged to come up with a long term solution, of a new site in Tetbury.

“I support the proposal at Cirencester Phoenix, as it solves what should hopefully be a need, that does not take as long as Tetbury.”

A planning document reads: “The temporary building is required due to the lack of capacity at Phoenix Surgery as a result of their growing patient base.

“They have taken on Allied Healthcare Professionals, i.e. paramedics however they have very little room to house them.

“They are also expecting an increase in the number of residents from a large housing development nearby to enrol in the surgery list.

“Phoenix surgery’s long term plan to negate the need of the temporary building is to construct a new surgery on another site and they are currently in negotiations with the CCG and a local landowner.”

It continues: “The building will not encroach on any existing car parking spaces “The Portakabin building has been chosen as a result of the flexible solution it provides.”

You can view the application quoting 24/01693/FUL or see here - tinyurl.com/9h7vy6ub