The second biggest emergency vets in the country could make its way to town after plans to convert an 18th century manor house in Little Marlow were given the green light.

Wycombe District Council gave the nod to an early plan transform the grade II listed Westhorpe House in to a specialist referral hospital for animals earlier this month.

The designer behind the plan is the brains behind a multimillion pound referral hospital for Fitzpatrick Referrals, which is run by Channel 4’s Supervet, Noel Fitzpatrick.

Dr Fitzpatrick is not associated with this particular development, but ACD Projects designed his animal hospital in Guildford.

The new hospital – which would be known as The Ralph Veterinary Centre - says it could provide the second largest emergency and critical care service in the UK for small animals, including dogs and cats for Marlow and areas further afield.

The developers said: "The proposals will provide a state-of-the-art, world class, small animal (dogs, cats) specialist veterinary referral hospital for Marlow and the surrounding areas."

Also, a new charity offering low cost and free healthcare to stray and shelter animals would also be run within the centre, if the plan is followed through.

The building has been vacant for five years, and was previously used as officers for printing suppliers Lexmark International.

ACD Projects has reassured residents that the landscape would be mostly unaffected by the new centre, aside from some “minor” changes to create some outside dog runs.