Controversial nursing home plan withdrawn at Grappenhall

A CONTROVERSIAL plan for an extra-care facility at a Grappenhall nursing home has been withdrawn following a surge of objections.

Plans were submitted to Warrington Borough Council in December for the proposed development at the Old Rectory Nursing Home – reported by Warrington Worldwide at the time.
The proposal involved the demolition existing buildings at the nursing home and the erection of new buildings containing 16 apartments, a dining room/café, communal lounge and terrace overlooking the Bridgewater Canal.

Although the Old Rectory is not a Listed building, it is within the Grappenhall Village Conservation Area which contains a number of Grade 2 Listed buildings and the nationally important Grade 1 St Wilfrid’s Church.
Grade 2 buildings include the stocks and sundial at St Wilfrid’s Church and Grappenhall Rectory.
Residents lodged objections on a variety of grounds including overlooking of existing properties, impact on an attractive stretch of the Bridgewater Canal, impact on the Green Belt, etc.
Consultants acting for the Old Rectory said the development would be partially invisible from the conservation area, being concealed by buildings and that the impact of the new buildings would be at the lower end of the scale of causing harm to nearby heritage assets.
They said the need for additional extra care facilities outweighed the insignificant harm caused.
But objectors pointed out that plans had been approved for a care home nearby, on the site of the Spring Brook hotel, which would not have an impact on the Green Belt.