A vet surgery in South Woodford would be knocked down and rebuilt under plans submitted to Redbridge Council.

Goddard Veterinary Group has applied for permission to demolish its surgery and an outbuilding on Woodford Road to construct a two-storey building on the site.

This would house a vet surgery on the ground floor and a three-bedroom flat above.

A Goddard spokesperson said the practice provides care for around 2,000 pets.

They added that the new surgery would include dedicated cat and dog waiting areas, state-of-the-art scanning and blood testing equipment and new surgical and recovery facilities.

The current premises, which sits on the corner with Bressey Grove, has been on the site since the 1960s while the outbuilding contains storage space, according to the application.

It describes the surgery as being in "a state of structural disrepair".

A design statement published by Dickson Architects on behalf of Goddard said the residential accommodation would be for vet staff.

The area of the new surgery would be increased by 34 square metres, while the current five-car parking spaces are to be kept.

Mark Gill, operations director at Goddard, said: "Updating and upgrading our South Woodford premises to reflect modern advances in pet healthcare is essential.

"It will ensure we can continue offering high-quality services and to meet the demands of the ever-increasing number of pet owners in our local community.

"The existing single-storey building and layout does not allow this and to be able to invest in a brand new facility in the local area, so close to our roots, will underline our commitment to our wonderful staff and our clients."

Mr Gill added that Goddard expects to run its usual services during building work with "minimal disruption.”

Dickson Architects said it had tried to create a new vet building with "much improved" facilities and provide a "more attractive building".

The redevelopment would cost up to £2million, the application said, and if the application is approved, work is planned to begin in December and be completed in July 2022.

Goddard, which was founded in 1952, runs 44 branches and three animal hospitals across London.

Comment on the plans until July 18.

To view the application, visit the council's planning portal.