PLANS to extend a beer garden at a town centre pub could see the loss of trees and hit the character of Warrington.

That is the view of Warrington Borough Council planners who are recommending councillors turn down a scheme at the Looking Glass pub.

Bosses at the Wetherspoon pub on Buttermarket Street want to convert some of the landscaped shrubbery, flowerbed area into a paved beer garden.

And they say the scheme will include planters.

But planners say it would be 'detrimental to the character and appearance of this important part of the town centre'.

In a report ahead of the meeting in the Town Hall on Wednesday, it says the damage to the root of existing trees had the potential to 'lead to their demise'.

The report added: "While the proposal includes the installation of tree grids around the base of the trees, this is likely to become an area which attracts discarded material by patrons and therefore

cause further harm to the trees.

"An Arboricultural Impact Assessment has not been submitted in support of the application to suggest otherwise or to provide any indication of tree protection, including a method of works.

"It is therefore considered that in time these trees will become detrimentally affected by the proposal and will require removal due to poor health.

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"The potential loss of these trees would cause further visual impact on the character and appearance of this part of the town centre."