®Planning appeal decision
Land at Watercress Farm, Off Thirlmere Drive, Lymm, WA13 9PF
Planning appeal 3354475 at Land at Watercress Farm, Off Thirlmere Drive, Lymm, WA13 9PF (Warrington Borough Council) was allowed on 11 March 2025 by Inspector Manchester S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would make appropriate provision for affordable housing, having regard to local and national planning policy.
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
- Postcode
- WA13 9PF
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.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy OS5 Lymm (Rushgreen Road)Policy DEV2Policy INF5
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.