PLANNERS have approved an application for a temporary building for up to 8 people at Hollins Park Hospital.
The temporary accommodation, which is already on site, provides replacement office accommodation for a period of up to 5 years while Mersey Care rationalises office accommodation across its entire estate.
The application site is an NHS Hospital site which, in addition to inpatient care is also the administrative base of the Trust Headquarters and an Education Centre. The site is situated on Hollins Lane in the Winwick area of Warrington and is bounded to the west and south by open land in agricultural use and to the east by an area of public open space which surrounds the former Winwick Hospital housing development known as Winwick Park.
The site comprises a number of buildings up to four storeys in height with car parks and internal access roads covering an area of circa 16 acres.
The site is within the Green Belt as defined under Policy CS5 of the Warrington Local. Plan. There are no protected trees in the vicinity of the application site.
The proposal seeks a temporary permission for the provision of a temporary building for up to 8 people to provide replacement office accommodation for a period of up to 5 years while Mersey Care rationalises office accommodation across its entire estate.
The application is for the renewal of a previous expired permission for a portacabin which has been on site for a number of years. The Portacabin is located to the rear of an existing two storey administrative building, on a rear terraced area which occupies higher ground in comparison to the main site and overlooks a public park. The Portacabin is 12.4m in length and 4.18m wide with a flat roof height of 2.97m and has openings in each elevation and is light gey in appearance with dark coloured windows and doors.
The Portacabin is located circa 2m from the boundary fencing of the public park and screening is provided to public areas by trees and hedging. It is noted that trees inside the boundary of the park have recently been trimmed by the Hospital however still provide partial screening of the portacabin, given that the nearest residential property with a direct view of the proposal is over 125m away, views are limited.
Due to the location, the general public were not notified of the application. The application was publicised by a Site Notice displayed on Hollins Lane at the main entrance to the site. One objection was received as a result of the publicity given to the application on the following material planning grounds; Building has already been erected without permission.
Cut down trees/shrubs on Winwick Park without permission.
Visual amenity – concerns that the portacabin is out of character to the surrounding area and should be painted green until the trees grow back.
The objector did specify that they would have no objection if the portacabin was painted green to appear less conspicuous. The issue of unauthorised pruning of a number of trees on public land is currently the subject of a Council investigation predominantly concerning the Trees and Landscaping division and is not an issue which would be dealt with by this application.
Warrington Borough Council has approved the application under delegated powers.
