W
L
WORK STARTS ON MAJOR REBUILD
PROJECT OF WIRRAL VET SURGERY
Work has started to rebuild a Wirral veterinary surgery
as part of a major modernisation project to create a
state-of-the-art facility for pets across the region.
The transformed Acorn Veterinary Centre in Acacia
Grove, West Kirby, run by the independently-owned
Willows Veterinary Group, will employ 19 people, which
will include the creation of two new jobs, and is expected
to be completed later in the summer.
The former buildings attached to the end-of-terrace three-
storey Victorian town house, which once housed a family
printing firm and forms part of the surgery, have been
demolished to make way for a modern, glass-fronted 3,000
sq ft single storey building. For the time-being, the surgery
has a temporary home at Hillcroft Farm in Frankby Road,
Frankby.
The whole team are looking forward to welcoming
four-legged clients and their owners to the new purpose-
built practice which is being built by local firm JFW
Construction of Bebington. The new practice will house
three consultation rooms, a double theatre, an imagery
suite which will house X-ray, ultrasound, endoscopy and
ECG equipment. There will also be a designated feline and
canine dental theatre which will also have its own digital
X-ray system. The number of parking spaces will double
from three to six.
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Head Vet Tom McGowan, a father-of-two who lives in
Heswall and is originally from Arkansas in the US, said:
“The new practice is going to be open-plan and airy with
lots of light and high ceilings but it will have a familiar feel
with the same team working hard to look after our clients
which I think will be really reassuring to them. We are all
extremely excited that work is underway. The surgery has
been in the local community for 30 years and it is great to
be overseeing a project to revitalise it for many more years
to come. As a part of Willows Veterinary Group, we are
always looking at ways to reinvest and improve facilities
for our clients and their much-loved pets. It’s important
for our staff team too, that they have a nice place to come
and work in and to have something they are proud of.”
Tony Cottier, joint Director of JFW Construction, the
construction firm building the new surgery, said: “We have
a team of six local lads employed on the site and all the
materials we are using come from local suppliers. We are
also enlisting the support of a team of Wirral based sub-
contractors including scaffolders, electricians and window
fitters so this particular project is providing a lot of work
for a network of local businesses. Work is well underway
now and going well. The finished project is going to look
great and be in keeping with the local area. I think people
will be really impressed by the finished building.”