A row over plans to expand a dental surgery in Sprowston is rumbling on amid worries that it will lead to more "dangerous" parking along a major road.
A planning application to extend Friends Dental Practice into the adjoining house has seen upwards of 50 public comments sent to Broadland District Council online.
The business, in Wroxham Road, first applied to transform the property into further treatment spaces at the start of February, with recent plans revealing an on-site car park with eight places for patients and staff.
Dental surgery owner Dr Zain Shamoon said the expansion could provide places for up to 200 more NHS patients.
However, with the number of patients set to increase, locals are fearful of the negative impact this will have on a road already suffering from "dangerous" parking.
"Unfortunately the UK presently finds itself in an NHS dental crisis," said Jonathan Reader, who lives with his family in a nearby house almost opposite the surgery.
"This does not mean dental practices should receive preferential treatment with regard to planning at the expense of the safety of road users, local residents and families.
"We had a close call recently when trying to turn into our drive; cars parked on either side of our driveway had reduced visibility so much that I overshot the turn into our drive and had to reverse, almost colliding with a car on the northbound carriageway.
"I had my children in the rear seats and it was a very worrying and dangerous situation.
"This practice has mentioned taking more NHS patients on but has not declared exactly how many this would be or, more importantly, for how long. A figure of up to 200 has been suggested, but that would be the tip of the iceberg in relation to this current crisis and is more of a carrot than a commitment."
Someone else living in Wroxham Road, whose name is redacted by the council in the online comments, said: "It is absolute nonsense.
"Crossing Wroxham Road is dangerous at the best of times but, with every house having a patient's car parked outside, it will be worse."
Others praised the expansion of the surgery though, saying: "We so need dentists in this area.
"This is a fantastic idea supporting the local community."
Natasha Harpley, deputy leader of Broadland and Labour councillor representing Sprowston Central, said: "As a councillor whose portfolio includes health, it places me in a conflicting position to actively oppose the possibility of more, much-needed dental provision.
"However, it cannot be to the detriment of safety standards for people or the local area.
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"The proposed location is on a very busy road and bus route that is regularly used by HGVs and is just metres from a particularly problematic - in terms of road safety and parking - small parade of shops.
"I truly welcome more dentist spaces, especially for NHS patients, but location really is key."
Despite the backlash, Dr Zain Shamoon, principal dentist and owner of Friends Dental Practice, is hopeful that a compromise can be reached.
He said: "The highways department is being very supportive and has helped us amend our original plans.
"There is a lot of free parking available in the surrounding roads, and we are exploring options for further spaces in the local area.
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"Most of our staff and patients already use greener methods to get to the surgery, such as walking, cycling, car-sharing or getting the bus.
"If these plans are approved, they could help us provide up to 200 additional NHS places on our registers.
"We are really looking forward to taking on more NHS patients - particularly children - at the surgery."
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