Plans to flatten Lymm Hotel need “complete rethink”

NEARBY residents were shocked when they met to see developers’ plans to flatten the existing Lymm Hotel and replace it with 52 retirement apartments, a 120-place nursery and 72-bed care home.
They raised many issues – but the major ones were the impact of several hundred vehicle movement a day and the “woefully inadequate” parking provision of just 74 places.
Spokesman for the “Neighbours of the Lymm Hotel” Alan Williams said:
“Residents initially tried to approach the idea of the redevelopment in a positive frame of mind in spite of the sad potential loss of the hotel, with all its history, including the famous stay of Pele and the Brazil team for the 1966 World Cup.
“But shock turned to disbelief when neighbours realised that the development proposed just 37 parking places to cater for all the needs of a 120-place nursery and 72-bed care home who would together have daily staff of up to 60. The car park would also apparently cater for drop-off logistics for these 120 children as well as providing spaces for visitor and outside carers at the care home and delivery vehicles to both businesses.”
Gill Emmott, who faces the prospect of the nursery’s playground directly adjoining her garden, said: “The planning application itself states that council guidelines recommend 102 places for a development on this scale, so we were speechless when the developers tried to argue that 37 places would more than enough.”
Neighbours were also angry at the developers’ claim that the site was well served by public transport.
“This is simply ridiculous and inaccurate” said neighbour Yingshi Malcomson.
“The nearest regular bus services are almost 700 metres away, not 400 metres as developers claim… and of course people either have an uphill walk or have to pick their way across the unmade road at the end of Statham Avenue.”
The 55-plus retirement apartments with their own car park on Whitbarrow Road would offer just one resident place for every two apartments.
There is concern too about the scale and style of the buildings as well as the predicted huge increase in traffic volumes on local roads especially the corner of Whitbarrow Road.
Mr Williams said: “We believe this application should be sent straight back to the developers for a complete rethink.
“This development is untenable for the apartment owners and nursery and care home staff and users as well as those living in the surrounding area. The answer is surely a significant reduction in the scale of the development that then also releases more space for parking while reducing traffic volumes.”
Residents have created a website alanlymm.wixsite.com/lymmhotelplans which contains key information about the application.
Plans can also be viewed at the hotel. Objections can be sent to [email protected] and should ideally be in by February 9.

Another view of the new building