Eye Clinic Plans Opening in Power Road Studios


Facility would be capable of carrying out 50 operations a day


Power Road Studios, Chiswick. Picture: Facebook

July 21, 2025

An eye clinic specialising in cataract operations is hoping to open on Power Road in Chiswick.

A planning application has been submitted for the change of use and minor external alterations to a ground floor unit at Studio 5, Power Road Studios. The clinic would be run by SpaMedica, a major provider of ophthalmology services for the NHS, which carries out around 200,000 cataract surgeries annually across the UK. It is the UK’s largest independent provider of cataract surgery for NHS patients, with more than 60 dedicated hospitals and over 2,000 staff 

The building is a recently constructed five storey office block which was built on a site formerly used by the BBC.

If approved, the site would function as a hub facility offering pre-booked day surgery, with a maximum of 50 patients treated per day and no overnight stays or emergency care. The proposed hours of operation are 7:30am to 6:30pm, seven days a week, including bank holidays. A dedicated patient transport service would also be offered.

The property is currently designated for office use under a restrictive planning condition, meaning that despite being within the same commercial use class (Class E), full planning permission is required for the medical use. The proposal includes the addition of a new bin store and the installation of plant equipment, though no other major external changes are planned.

The application argues that the proposal aligns with local and national planning policy by delivering healthcare infrastructure, supporting NHS services, and maintaining employment on the site. SpaMedica says its services can significantly reduce NHS waiting times, citing a national average drop from 280 days to 42 days in referral-to-treatment periods when compared to traditional NHS pathways. The site, situated within a Locally Significant Industrial Site (LSIS), would generate 12 full-time jobs.

Planning consultants argue that the loss of office space is minimal in the context of the wider borough and that a personalised condition could be applied to allow the site to return to office use if the clinic relocates. The applicants request that the scheme be approved without delay, highlighting the community and economic benefits it would bring.

Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More

This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism.

Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets.

We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more.

However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do.

We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area.

A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site.

One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute.

If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor.

For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site.