PLANS centred on the popular Wetherspoon pub in Warrington town centre are set to be blocked by councillors.

A planning application relating to The Friar Penketh public house will go before Warrington Borough Council’s development management committee at the Town Hall on Wednesday.

Applicant JD Wetherspoon is seeking permission for enhancements to its outdoor dining area, with proposals submitted in June.

This is through the installation of fixed, wrought iron barriers to the existing pavement ‘café’ on Barbauld Street, with ornate style screens and fixed to the ground with posts.

Planning documents state: “The loose furniture which currently occupies the pavement café will remain and only feature within the boundary of the fixed barriers.”

The current pavement café which faces Barbauld Street does not have any sort of boundary fencing separating it from the pavement and street.

“The proposals will not drastically change the overall appearance of the building, and the alterations do not concern the fabric of the property itself, but the land immediately outside the public house,” documents add.

“The proposal would see permanently fixed barriers installed to demarcate the boundary of the pavement café.

“The visual impact of these barriers will be minimal as they are neither full height nor fully opaque, allowing the building’s elevation to be retained as much as possible.”

Plans are to be called in before the committee as the application site is part of the ‘adopted highway’.

However, in a pre-meeting report, planning officers have recommended that members refuse permission for the scheme, which received no letters of objection or support.

The report states that two consultees, namely Warrington Transport Development Control and Historic England, have raised concerns.

The former said: “The proposal creates a footpath pinch point next to Friars Lane reducing accessibility, with increased risk of falls into the carriageway.

“The proposed barrier shepherds’ passers-by into the seating area rather than around, with the opening needing to face the carriageway and not as proposed.

“The highway authority does not support the use of such fixed barriers. Any barriers need to be easily and quickly removable.”

Moreover, a conservation consultee reported: “These proposals would be a significant addition to the streetscape.

“The proposed barriers would be a permanent feature of the public realm and alter the approach and views to and from the adjacent conservation areas.

“It would also alter the setting of the nearby locally listed building of the former Palace Cinema.”

Historic England added: “The proposal would see barriers and their accompanying posts extend out onto the pavement, creating a permanently cluttered appearance to the street and negatively affect the setting of nearby heritage assets.

“This is in comparison to the existing moveable set-up of the existing pavement seating the business currently benefits from.

“The proposal would cause a degree of less than substantial harm to both the setting of the adjacent conservation areas and locally listed building.

“There is no discernible additional public benefit arising from this proposal to justify the harm.”

Concluding, a council planning officer said: “In conclusion, as set out above the proposals would be contrary to the local plan and are recommended for refusal on the grounds of two reasons.

“The development, by virtue of the resultant impact on public amenity by forcing pedestrians closer to the road and not allowing a minimum width of 2.5 metres to the highway, would have an unacceptable impact upon public amenity.

“The proposals would have an unacceptable impact on the street scene and the identified heritage assets in this locality by fixing a permanent feature into the public realm, adjacent to Palmyra Square and Bridge Street conservation areas and locally listed properties.”