Planning permission granted for third permanent pharmacy in town

PLANNING permission has been granted for a permanent pharmacy in Warminster, a step forward in restoring a third pharmacy to the town. 

Plans for a single-storey retail unit attached to an existing row of four retail units on Broxburn Road have been approved by Wiltshire Council. 

The town’s two pharmacies have been under additional pressure in recent years following the closure of the Boots pharmacy next to The Avenue GP surgery in 2023.  

In May 2024, Warminster Town Council described the shortage of pharmacy provision as a “crisis” in a letter to the Integrated Care Board. Long queues at existing pharmacies meant residents were sometimes waiting hours for prescriptions. 

“This is good news and another step forward in the slow process of reinstating a third pharmacy in the town following the closure of Boots Avenue in October 2023, said David Reeves from the Warminster Area Health and Wellbeing Forum. “It also demonstrates the need for all of us to act when such vital facilities are threatened and to make time to influence decision-makers’ policies to protect our local community. Let us hope that things can now move forward quickly.” 

Earlier this year, temporary planning permission was granted for a pharmacy in a shipping container on Broxburn Road to address the community’s immediate need. The move was seen as a step towards a permanent pharmacy to meet demand from new housing developments, including the Jubilee Gardens development on the western side of town.