COUNCILLORS are visiting the proposed site of a care home to see why they are being urged to refuse planning consent just to spare two oak trees.
Members of Warrington’s development control committee will then decide whether the scheme, in Delenty Drive, Birchwood, can go ahead.
The scheme, put forward by St George Ultimate
Care Ltd, would provide accommodation for people with acquired brain injury, early onset dementia, strokes, etc.
There would be 19 special needs flats, three guest rooms, a gymnasium, hydrotherapy pool, library and other facilities
It would involve demolition of an existing building but also clearing a number of trees – including the two mature protected oaks which planners say are important features of the local landscape.
Birchwood Town Council and five nearby residents have objected to the scheme. They say the part three-storey building would represent over-development of the site and lead to traffic problems, noise and disturbance.
In addition, they claim the applicants have failed to consult with residents adequately.
But planning officers are recommending the scheme be thrown out for just one reason – the loss of the two oaks.
They claim the loss of the trees would be detrimental to the character of the site and the surrounding area and, as a result, the proposed development would be contrary to council policies design to protect trees and woodland generally, and protected trees in particular.
