Neighbours in Beatle house protest

FOURTEEN nearby residents have lodged objections to a plan to build a house in the garden of Warrington’s “Beatle” house.
But their objections have nothing to do with the history of the property where Beatle George Harrison’s parents once lived.
They are more concerned about the impact on wildlife – birds, squirrels and bats, rather than Beatles – loss of trees and privacy and traffic issues.
The outline proposal is for a detached house and garage in the garden of Sevenoaks, Old Pewterspear Lane, Appleton – the house George Harrison bought for his parents and where they lived in the late 1960s.
At least two previous applications have been made to build on the site but the earlier plans involved three or four detached four or five bedroomed houses. The most recent was dismissed on appeal in 2002.
But a number of extensions to Sevenoaks itself have been approved over the year.
Appleton Parish Council has expressed concerns about the scheme which, they say, appears to be contrary to national planning policy as the garden is regarded as greenfield land.
They question whether the proposed access onto Hatfield Gardens should be permitted and point out that this would be close to a playground and a bend.
They say there should be no access via Old Pewterspear Lane.
Planning officers are recommending the scheme be approved, subject to conditions.
George Harrison bought Sevenoaks for his parents, Harry and Louise Harrison, in the late 1960s so they could escape the attentions of hundreds of Beatles fans who regularly descended on their former council-house home in Macket’s Lane, Woolton, Liverpool.
They moved quietly using a small van to move all but the most bulky items of furniture. Even Liverpool Corporation didn’t know they were going until they had gone.
The ruse worked. The occasional, determined American tourist tracked Mr and Mrs Harrison down to Appleton. But in the main, they were able to live their lives quietly away from “Beatlemania” – even though George dropped in for a visit occasionally.
Picture: Sevenoaks, as it was when the Harrison’s lived there