Planning chiefs urged to
reject retirement flats
by David Skentelbery
COUNCILLORS are being urged to throw out a controversial plan to build a three and four-storey block of 30 retirement apartments on the site of a former country club at Glazebrook, near Warrington.
Applicant Christine Lucas has put forward the plan as a means of ending problems of vandals, travellers and arson on the site of the former Glazebrook Country Club in Bank Street.
She claims her only alternative will be to re-open the country club and says she has already started work on renovating the building.
But the plan is opposed by Rixton with Glazebrook Parish Council and by local borough councillor Roger Rankin, as well as nine local residents.
They claim the scheme would have a damaging impact on the Green Belt, that there are access difficulties and a lack of shops, health facilities or public transport.
Planning officers are recommending the scheme be refused. They say although the development is described as retirement flats there is no provision for a warden or communal facilities. This means the scheme would really be a conventional block of flats.
The scheme would have a damaging visual impact on the Green Belt and there would be traffic problems arising from the narrowness of Bank Street.
Over the years there have been 19 planning applications for re-development of the site ? the most recent for a detached house which went to appeal but was still turned down.
Glazebrook Country Club was once a popular nightspot, drawing revellers from a wide area. Latterly it was a sports club offering squash, badminton, table tennis, etc until it was forced to close following an electrical explosion.
Mrs Lucas says if she cannot get permission to re-develop the site for residential purposes she will re-open the club, offering social and education opportunities for youth groups including the Air Training Corps.
Girls set up recycling
“business” for charity
by David Skentelbery
THREE schoolgirls have set up a ?recycling business? in aid of charity ? and to help neighbours get rid of their rubbish.
Leila Arada, aged 12, a pupil at Lymm High School and sisters Samantha and Ella Drysdale, aged 10 and nine, from Oughtrington Primary School are going door-to-door offering to take unwanted items to the recycling centre in Davies Way, Lymm.
Paper, plastic, glass and clothing ? the girls will take anything that can be recycled.
They make a charge of ?1 ? but that will be given to charity.
The girls got the idea after finding that a couple of neighbours needed help getting rid of items.
They knocked on a few doors and found a ready demand for their service.
Leila?s Mum, Joanne, was impressed with the girls? initiative and persuaded furniture store IKEA to donate carry carts and safety vests for them.
She said: ?I know the council are stepping up kerbside recycling, but in the meantime the girls are doing a good job which people find useful and which also raised money for charity.?
Residents lose
mobile phone battle
by John Hendon
RESIDENTS have lost a battle to block the erection of a mobile phone mast in Blackbrook Avenue, Cinnamon Brow, Warrington.
A planning inspector has upheld an appeal against the borough council?s refusal to grant permission for the mast.
Warrington?s development control committee went against the advice of their officers when they rejected the scheme.
The inspector came to the conclusion the mast would be a simple and uncluttered structure, acceptable within context of existing street furniture and with no harmful effect on the character and appearance of the area.
He said it would not harm the outlook from any nearby home and there was a need for the equipment to provide Third Generation mobile coverage in the area.
Four previous applications had been made for masts to provide mobile phone coverage in the area and there had been discussions with the applicant to try and find a site acceptable to residents. But local objections could not resolved and councillors continued to refuse planning consent.
Alan Stephenson, Warrington?s environment director said the inspector?s decision illustrated the fact that where monopole phone masts were within a street scene they were almost inevitably going to be considered acceptable.
Action pledge
on chewing gum
by Lesley Wilkinson
THE nuisance of chewing gum on the pavements in Stockton Heath will be eliminated in some areas but not others.
Following a letter to Stockton Heath Parish Council complaining about gum outside the Victoria Buildings restaurant development, members wrote to the managing agents to complain. The agents have agreed to ensure it is removed regularly.
But members’ complaints about gum on other pathways in the village cannot be dealt with. They wrote to Warrington Borough Council to ask for it to be removed, but the council is unable to provide that service.
News in brief
Quiz Night
A QUIZ Night is to be held at St John’s United Reformed Church, Wilderspool Causeway, Warrington on Saturday, March 3 at 7.30pm Teams of 4-6 people are being invited to take part and there will be refreshments.
Classical concert
AWARD-winning pianist Sergi Salov will be playing works by Brahms, Chopin, Rachmaninov and Ravel at Walton Hall, Warrington on February 24.
Farewell gesture
THE Penguins, a swimming club for asthma suffers which recently folded up, has donated ?100 towards the upkeep of Penketh Swimming Pool because of members’ “fond memories” of using the pool.
Lottery award
FOX Wood school at Birchwood, Warrington, has won a ?4,204 National Lottery grant under the Awards for All scheme. The school caters for 80 pupils with severe learning difficulties or other medical needs.
