A planning application was submitted to Wiltshire Council earlier this month (November 12) for a “temporary pharmacy” to open in a shipping container to address the “immediate need” for “accessible pharmaceutical services”.
The proposal provides an “expedited solution for delivering pharmaceutical services to the local area while a permanent location is being designed and constructed on the same site”, it said.
Read more: ‘We lost everything in the fire’: Rowlands reopens in portacabin
The application for the temporary facility was submitted by Povey Properties to use 1,670 square metres of land on Broxburn Road in Warminster, the documents revealed.
The proposal is now under consultation by Wiltshire Council until December 16, with a projected decision date of January 10 depending on the feedback received, the council confirmed to C+D last week (November 21).
“Repurposed shipping container”
Plans for the “repurposed shipping container” include one small container for the pharmacy and another for a “welfare unit” housing two toilets, as well as a “removable ramp” for those with limited mobility and a “small bin store”, according to planning documents.
“The container will be finished in a way that enhances the aesthetic appeal, painted blue to add vibrancy while maintaining a professional appearance,” they said.
Read more: Fire-ravaged Rowlands branch opens ‘new-look premises’ after portacabin stint
The site is located in a “well-connected” and “primarily residential area” near to a “small parade of local shops, including a convenience shop, a takeaway and a hair stylist”, the plans added.
The proposal has been made to provide “an essential service to the local community”, they said, and will create a “cost-effective and sustainable” temporary solution until the permanent location is finished.
Read more: Council greenlights plans to turn ‘In Bread’ sandwich shop into a pharmacy
“By utilising shipping containers and temporary structure, the proposal ensures flexibility and adaptability without long-term changes to the site,” the documents said.
In August, a Rowlands Pharmacy branch ravaged by a fire was forced to relocate to a temporary portacabin while the damaged premises were repaired.
But “just over three weeks” later, the North Wales pharmacy reopened its doors in Rhos on Sea, hosting an event to celebrate its return to a “new-look premises”.