Nursing home plan thrown out

RESIDENTS and local councillors are celebrating after a planning inspector upheld a decision to stop a 39 bedroom nursing home being built.
The independent inspector upheld the decision of Warrington Borough Council to refuse planning permission to convert former Norris Street Methodist Church, at the junction of Norris Street and O’Leary Street.
Members of the council’s development control committee overwhelmingly rejected the application in April on the grounds of the overbearing impact the application would have on the street scene.
The applicant appealed the decision and an independent inspector was appointed by the Planning Inspectorate. Now a second “no” decision has been given and residents are delighted.
Fairfield and Howley councillor Paul Kenny (pictured) said: “I am absolutely delighted that this development will not now go ahead. There was an enormous response from residents against these plans, and it goes to show that such united opposition really can make a difference.
“The inspector was left in no doubt about the strength of local feeling and has made the right decision. From day one we very quickly formed the view that this development would have an overbearing impact on the local street scene.
“In seeking to maximise his profit potential, the applicant had designed a building which was simply too big for the site. Residents were never opposed to the principle of the development but the applicant’s refusal to consider a smaller scale development or to take on board residents concerns made us all the more determined to fight this battle.”
Residents are now waiting to see whether the applicant will submit further plans which address the inspector’s findings.