PLANS to demolish a village pub and build a large care home in its place are a step closer to being given the green light.

An application to bulldoze The Springbrook pub in Grappenhall to make way for a 70-bedroom care facility has been recommended for approval.

The proposals will go before Warrington Borough Council’s planning committee next week to decide whether permission will be granted.

But the pub’s days look set to be numbered, with planning officers stating the three-storey development would not have a detrimental effect on the community.

The 0.5-hectare site in question sits on the crossroad junction of Knutsford Road and Stockport Road.

According to planning documents, the care home proposed by applicant New Care would consist of three distinct blocks connected by glazed fronted and flat roofed linked elements.

Access is set to remain largely the same, although the existing car park would be reduced in size to accommodate 30 vehicles, including three mobility spaces and an ambulance drop-off zone.

Warrington Guardian: The Springbrook pub in Grappenhall (Image: Google Maps)The Springbrook pub in Grappenhall (Image: Google Maps)

Plans propose a dedicated garden area to the rear of the home for the use of residents, with a smaller garden area planned at the front.

The application has been referred to planning committee after it received 14 letters of objection.

Complaints over the scheme include the impact of the loss of the pub on the community, which is used by local groups, the lack of adequate parking provisions and the detriment such a large building would have on the character of the surrounding area.

Grappenhall and Thelwall Parish Council raised no objection to the plans, although members expressed concern that the area cannot afford to lose another retail outlet for more dwellings.

The council also said the junction is not suitable for retirement units and that the height of the proposed building is inappropriate for and inconsistent with for the location.

Among planning documents is a letter in support of the development from pub operator Marston’s, which states the pub’s earnings have declined steadily and sharply since 2016.

This is despite ongoing investment, including an extension which was approved in 2015.

Warrington Guardian: Impressions of how the development would look if approvedImpressions of how the development would look if approved

The letter highlights ‘unviable trading conditions’, with planning case officer Philip Forster determining there is a ‘significant chance’ the pub would close.

In his report recommending approval, Mr Forster states the principle of the development is acceptable and in accordance with planning policies.

It would contribute to the supply of new residential accommodation to meet the needs of the elderly, he says.

He goes on to say that the loss of the pub is considered acceptable and would not be detrimental to the community, and that the scale, appearance and layout of the proposed building is considered acceptable.

In conclusion, he said: “It is an appropriate use of land, proposing the redevelopment of a brownfield site within a development boundary.

“It has been demonstrated that the loss of the public house would not lead to the detriment of the vitality of the local community and there is suitable alternative provision in the locality.

“The application is therefore recommended for approval.”