®Planning appeal decision
Land at Watercress Farm, Off Thirlmere Drive, Lymm, WA13 9PF
erection of a part two/part three storey building comprising 36 apartments (24no. 1 bed and 12no. 2 bed) for retirement living housing (Use Class C3) with associated communal facilities, substation, landscaping and car parking with access onto Thirlmere Drive
- Authority
- Warrington Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Manchester S
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal would make appropriate provision for affordable housing, having regard to local and national planning policy
What decided it
The agreed viability position demonstrating that the development could not be financially viable if it included 30% on-site affordable housing, combined with the practical unsuitability of mixed-tenure retirement housing and the absence of registered provider interest, justified the reduced affordable housing provision with a financial contribution in lieu and a review mechanism.
The significant social and economic benefits of delivering specialist retirement housing for older people, including meeting identified local need and releasing underoccupied family housing, outweighed the shortfall in on-site affordable housing provision, particularly given the agreed viability constraints and the inclusion of a financial contribution and review mechanism.
Plan policies cited: Policy OS5 Lymm (Rushgreen Road), Policy DEV2, Policy INF5
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.