ANGRY councillors at Grappenhall are up-in-arms over what they describe as a “crazy plan” to demolish two shops and replace them with six houses – taking up roughly half the existing car park.
The controversial plan involves the Spar Shop and adjoining hairdressers on Thelwall New Road – and the car park also services a doctors’ surgery, a pre-school, a day nursery and The Quays Community Centre.
Members of Grappenhall and Thelwall Parish Council are opposing the scheme and objections have been lodged by local residents.
The community centre, surgery, pre-school and day nursery are also opposing the proposals.
Councillors are angry at the loss of local shops but also believe the proposals will cause road safety hazards.
The car park will be left with only about 23 spaces – far too few for the amenities on the site.
They believe people, including mothers with young children and patients going to the surgery, will be forced to park on busy Thelwall New Road.
In the longer term, the amenities could close because people won’t use them because of parking difficulties.
Cllr Ted Finnegan said: “It is a densely populated area and its needs those amenities.
“We believe the four amenities are more important than another six houses.
“The borough council will have to decide if planning permission is to be granted. We need all the help we can get from local people to stop this crazy scheme.”
Pictured on site L-R Parish Cllr Ray Fisher, Parish Cllr Cliff Taylor and Borough Cllr Ted Finnegan
2 Comments
This is a crazy idea. The car park is often jam-packed with people visiting the quays centre and the doctor’s surgery. These people will still be turning up as neither the doctor’s surgery or the quays centre is being demolished, so where are they going to park? My guess is they will be forming a long line along the road, reducing the main road to one lane of traffic, which will cause chaos for other road users, and the residents who live close by will have their lives made a misery by not being able to park outside their own homes, due to these other people parking there. I use the Spar shop frequently and will be very disappointed to see that go, no doubt that will have a knock on effect at Tesco too which has too few parking spaces already.
I should also point out that this will force parents taking young children to the nursery to unload their little passengers on the busy main road instead of in the safety of the car park. It is not OK for the council to go putting kids at risk like this by approving the planning application.