New house will not spoil setting of historic cottage

COUNCILLORS at Warrington have decided a plan to build a four-bedroom detached house next to a 300-year-old cottage will not spoil the setting of the locally listed building.
Members of the borough council’s development management committee have approved the controversial plan in Chapel Road, Penketh.
Penketh Parish Council had objected to the scheme, on the grounds it would overshadow historic Greystone Cottage.
Neighbours in Chapel Road also opposed the proposals.
But planning officers argued that the scheme was acceptable and councillors, after deferring a decision once to visit the site, agreed with them.
The committee was told construction of the new house would require demolition of part of an extension to the listed cottage – but planning officers said the single-storey extension has little architectural or historic connection with the original cottage.
Outline approval was granted last year, subject to conditions so the principle of a new dwelling on the site was established.
But the parish council said the new house would be “very imposing” and out of keeping with the historic cottage next door.
Two neighbours have also objected. They said there would be a loss of light and overshadowing for a neighbour and that Chapel Road, a bus route with two schools on it, was already suffering from extreme congestion.
They argued that Greystone Cottage was at least 300 years old and was one of the most historic and important buildings in the area.
It would be dwarfed by the new house and attractive views of it would be lost.
Pictured: Historic Greystone Cottage