A nursing home in Church Lawton which closed five years ago could soon be bulldozed and replaced with a new much bigger facility following a successful planning appeal.

Alsager Court Care Centre provided care for up to 29 residents in a one-storey building in Sandbach Road North, Church Lawton.

However, it closed in 2016 'due to the operation becoming financially unviable, largely because of its small scale'.

Since it shut, the building has remained out of use and has previously been labelled an 'eyesore'.

Malvern Homes' outline application to demolish the site and build a much larger, three-storey care home which would accommodate 60 people was turned down by Cheshire East Council's Southern Planning Committee in August 2020.

The development also included parking for approximately 29 vehicles and garden space.

However, Malvern's appeal against Cheshire East's refusal was recently granted by a planning inspector.

The planning inspector felt that the proposed care home would enable a vacant site to be brought back into "beneficial use" and would provide additional bed spaces and "improved facilities" for residents, with associated employment opportunities.

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However, the inspector highlighted that there was a "lack" of public transport serving Lawton Heath and "poor pedestrian access", and they acknowledged that the development would be "largely" car dominated.

The inspector added: "This weighs against the scheme, but the principle of the use of the site for a care home has already been established, and the transport statement suggests that the proposed intensification of use would not lead to significant additional traffic movements in and out of the site, compared with the previous use."

The inspector noted the comments from Church Lawton Parish Council regarding the age of traffic surveys, but Cheshire East's highways officer raised no concerns about the adequacy of the information and made no objections to the proposals in terms of access.

The inspector continued: "Given the limited additional traffic which would be associated with the scheme, I have no reason to disagree with this conclusion."

The inspector noted that there was an "alternative scheme" for residential development at the site, which at the time of the appeal was being considered by Cheshire East.

A report submitted by the inspector stated: "Whilst some neighbouring occupiers may prefer the site to be used for housing, I am required to assess the merits of the appeal scheme, rather than any alternative proposals.

"I have found the proposed development to be acceptable for the reasons given above, but this does not preclude an alternative scheme from being delivered on the site."

In conclusion, the planning inspector stated: "The proposed care home would not appear obtrusive or unduly prominent when viewed from Sandbach Road North, nor would it appear out of place when seen from the surrounding houses.

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"The proposed building would have a greater footprint than the existing buildings on the site, as well as being larger in overall scale.

"However, the plans show that the proposal would make effective use of the shape and topography of the site and could be accommodated centrally to provide adequate separation from the surrounding houses.

"The retention of existing trees and vegetation around the site boundaries, with additional planting proposed, would provide screening and help to retain the verdant character of the area."