Planning Applications parked

Before Christmas Trafford Council’s Planning Committee considered three significant applications for development in Ashton-Upon-Mersey ward. They were: a proposal for a residential care home on land at the junction of Ashton Lane and Ashlands, sheltered apartments for the elderly on the site of the former RAFA club on Oakfield and refurbishment and provision of ground floor level retail units at an existing office block at the junction of Washway Rd and Barkers lane (formerly known as the IBM office).

It was not a good night for the planners. All three were recommended for granting permission but after representations made by local residents, your local councillors and concerns expressed by members of the planning committee only one was approved – the sheltered apartments for the elderly on the Oakfield. This application was welcomed, subject to car parking restrictions and a requirement for a car parking review when occupancy reaches a pre-determined level. The picture below shows the ‘bomb site’ that is the former RAFA Club and clearly a good piece of architecture is going to be welcome here.

The care home proposal was rejected on the basis of the size and scale of the proposed building for the site and the planning committee invited the applicant to come back with a revised proposal. The developer of the former IBM office block has been asked to be more specific about the retail unit uses and to ‘beef up’ the travel plan to alleviate the office workers car parking congestion on Barkers Lane and other surrounding roads.