WORK is now well underway on demolishing the historic Lymm Hotel inflaming anger in the local community.
Planning permission was controversially granted by members of Warrington’s planning committee at the end of last year to replace it with a children’s nursery, a residential care home and retirement with care apartments.
Local Cllr Ian Marks said:“This was an utterly disgraceful decision by the Labour run Council. The concerns of 180 residents were completely ignored by the Council’s planning committee and created a huge amount of anger at the time. The decision was shocking.
“Now that demolition is actually taking place this anger has been inflamed again as people can see what is being destroyed forever. I argued very strongly that the front of the building should be retained.
“It may not have been an ‘architectural gem’ but it had a distinct charm and character and was an important part of Lymm’s heritage. It had links to the old railway line and the famous people associated with the hotel.
“We now can look forward to months and months of disruption caused by demolition and construction vehicles. These should not use the unmade stretch of road at the end of Statham Avenue nor the Golf Club corner where vehicles are forced to drive onto pavements to avoid hitting oncoming vehicles. We know this is illegal but everyone does it.
“The Council’s Highways experts assured us this was not an issue because there were no records of serious accidents. Thankfully this is not surprising because most drivers take care to avoid an incident.
“Current residents of Lymm and future generations have been badly let down by Warrington Council and they are very angry and saddened by what they see happening now.”
The hotel famously hosted footballing legend Pele and the Brazil team during the 1966 World Cup.
Meanwhile MacDonald Hotels is reported to have sold of 27 of its hotels to a private equity company to clear £190m debt.
The historic Lymm Hotel
A CGI of the proposed development
