Planning permission has been granted for a temporary pharmacy in Warminster.
The facility, housed in a shipping container on Broxbourne Road, will address the community’s “immediate need”.
It is hoped this temporary pharmacy will pave the way for a future third pharmacy in the town to meet the expected demand from several new housing developments.
David Reeves of the Warminster Area Health and Wellbeing Forum, former mayor Stacie Allensby, and other town councillors are among those who have welcomed the news.
David said, “We have worked hard to help make this happen, and it looks like positive news for the Warminster community. It may also help to smooth the approval of a second application for a permanent pharmacy on the same site.
“As the huge Jubilee Gardens development becomes populated, a much-needed pharmacy on the western side of town will help relieve the pressure on the existing pharmacies.
“After a lengthy planning pause, the applicant now needs to address the conditions of the application and move forward.”
Warminster currently has two pharmacies: Boots Pharmacy in the Market Place and the Bestway Group’s Well Pharmacy in The Cornmarket.
Both have been under pressure since October 2023, when the Boots Pharmacy next to The Avenue GP surgery closed.
In May 2024, Warminster Town Council described the shortage of pharmacy provision in the town as a “crisis” in a letter to the Integrated Care Board. Meanwhile, Cllr Allensby said long queues meant people were waiting hours for prescriptions.
Cllr Allensby said, “I am very glad to see the temporary pharmacy going in at Broadway roundabout. It will help provide some much-needed relief to our town pharmacies and enable people who don’t always want to venture into town to collect their prescriptions.”
Plans for the temporary pharmacy were submitted to Wiltshire Council by Povey Properties. It will be located at 5 Broxbourne Road in Warminster.
Planning documents state the facility will be “small in scale” and explain, “The temporary solution is part of a phased development approach, providing essential pharmaceutical services quickly while a permanent facility is being designed and constructed on the same site.
“The proposed temporary pharmacy provides an essential service to the local community, addressing an immediate need for accessible pharmaceutical services in Warminster.”
Pictured: How the pharmacy in Broxbourne Road will look.
Send us your news!
Help us keep your community connected and informed.
Do you have an interesting story you would like to share? Have you seen something you feel needs more attention? Get in touch with a reporter today!
✉️ Click here to get in touch with a reporterSupport Local Journalism
Help us keep your community connected and informed.
Local news is under pressure more than ever. For just £5 a month, you can support independent reporting that shares local stories, investigates the issues that affect you, and keeps residents up to date.
Choose a monthly subscription or a one-off donation to support independent journalism in Warminster.
