CONTROVERSIAL plans to find a group of scouts in Hollins Green a new home were set to take another twist last night, Wednesday.

Arsonists burnt down the 22nd Warrington East Scout group's hut nearly a year ago.

But leaders have struggled to progress with the £300,000 proposals for elsewhere on the same field after the land was given village green status.

A planning application was due to go before mem bers of Warrington Borough Council's development control committee last night, and had been recommended for refusal by council planners.

But the scouts say they never expected the application to be approved, as they were already aware it would be extremely difficult to pass plans for a new building on village green land.

Instead, another potential avenue would be for the scouts to build on exactly the same space of the field where the original hut stood, as it seems this patch of land could not be granted the village green status.

The old Scout hut was destroyed in a fire last August and, since then, the group has been meeting at the nearby Hollinfare St Helen's CE Primary School.

But the school hall is not suitable for the Scouts to carry out many of their activities, which is why the group wants to build a new meeting place that could also be used by other community groups.

The group wanted to move elsewhere on the field so that they could extend the facilities.

Rixton Parish Council says it has received nine letters in favour of the extended building proposal and 40 letters against the scheme.

Warrington Borough Council says it has received 58 objections but a consultation exercise found 180 were in favour, 11 were against and five were undecided. hcartwright@guardiangrp.vo.uk