Those who have attended Cotman House Dental Surgery since it was opened more than 20 years ago by Jonathan Frost have spoken out against the plans.

They are calling on Norwich City Council to "think of the patients", of which they say there are more than 1,000.

One person said: "We love this dental surgery and the staff. Please don't leave us trying to find another Jonathan - they just don't exist.

"Jonathan is more than a dentist. He cares, he knows us, we don't get shifted from him to a hygienist, he does all our care himself."

Since the application first emerged in July last year, a staggering 118 patients have objected to it, as well as several organisations who are called on for advice over the application.

One of them, Natural England, says more information is needed ahead of the decision over nutrient credits - which are needed to offset nutrient pollution in a development - otherwise it would need to object to the bid.

Although a decision for the application is yet to be made by City Hall, an agreed expiry date for the bid has been set for March 31. This means a decision could be made before then.

The council received the application from Dean Shields of Domus Management Ltd to convert the dental surgery at Cotman House into an apartment in July 2025.

Dozens of patients then wrote to City Hall expressing their "horror" over the possibility of losing their beloved practice.

One person said: "It is difficult enough to find a good dentist in the city that doesn't charge excessively. This practice is one such amenity. Don't we have enough flats in Norwich? We certainly don't have enough dentists."

In response to the number of objections, the practice's manager said: "We have been very moved by the level of support shown for our practice and the service we provide."

© Norwich Evening News