Community room cash hopes dashed

Hopes of cash help to replace the doomed Thornton House community room look set to be dashed.

An Audlem Parish Council plea for cash help to replace the community facility have been called "unreasonable" by planners.

Cheshire East's Southern Planning committee meets tomorrow to decide on the application for full planning permission to demolish Thornton House and build ten new bungalows on the site, all of which are to be affordable rented dwellings.

The community room at Emberton Place is earmarked to be bulldozed later this year to make way for the new bungalows.

A planning report recommends that Wulvern Housing's bungalow scheme gets full approval but suggests a request for cash to replace the lost communal room be rejected.

The report says of Wulvern Housing: "It is considered that they have made significant efforts to accommodate a new community facility on the site and it would be unreasonable for the Council to require a financial contribution from them.

Audlem and District Community Action (ADCA) have been using Thornton House for day clubs and coffee mornings since April 2011

Wulvern Housing began talks with ADCA in October 2012 over replacing the community rooms as part of the redevelopment.

At one point Wulvern considered gifting a piece of land to accommodate a community facility. Wulvern's architects drew up plans and even approached other agencies on behalf of ADCA to get grant funding for the project.

But ADCA eventually decided to move its day care club temporarily to Hankelow Chapel with the ultimate aim of moving to Audlem Village Hall, says the report.

Cheshire East councillors are recommended to give full planning approval for the development.

The report says there are currently 51 suitable applicants on the housing register who have selected Audlem as their first choice for an affordable home.

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