COUNCILLORS have approved plans for 66 new homes on the site of a school in Birchwood.

Warrington Borough Council’s development management committee granted planning permission for the scheme on the site of St Oliver Plunkett Catholic Primary School, which closed in 2003, during a Town Hall meeting last night.

A total of 26-three bedroom and 40 two-bedroom properties plus a play area will be built in the vacant 1.75 hectares of land off Admirals Road.

Decisions on the development by the committee had twice been deferred as members evaluated whether a pedestrian crossing was needed on Admirals Road.

Birchwood Town Council had stated that it would object to the plans if no crossing was to be installed, although Warrington Borough Council’s highways department said that visibility on the street was ‘good’ while ‘ample’ gaps in traffic were observed at peak times.

After hearing representation from Birchwood Town Council and Birchwood ward councillor Russ Bowden, as well as Wigan-based applicant MCI Developments, the committee passed the scheme on the basis that a zebra crossing be implemented on Admirals Road.

Councillors also gave the green light to an application relating to the new Mersey crossing between Slutchers Lane and Chester Road, the construction of a car park from Rock Oil’s base in Whitecross and an extension to a house on Ashberry Drive in Appleton.

A decision on whether a replacement building should be granted for a nursery on Kay Lane in Lymm was delegated to Warrington Borough Council’s planning officers.