PLANS to bulldoze a Spar shop to build homes have been thrown out by Warrington Borough Council’s planning department.

The Spar shop on Thelwall New Road in Grappenhall and the adjoining hairdressers had been earmarked for demolition by developers in order to construct six two-storey houses.

But planning chiefs have refused the proposal from Alfred Jones Ltd.

Warrington Borough Council’s development control department said: “The proposal would not reflect the layout or design of the surrounding build form and fails to create a high quality new place as it would result in a bland appearance which would not reinforce or add positively to local distinctiveness.

“It has not been adequately demonstrated that the proposals would avoid the loss of a viable convenience shop or that the loss would not impact on the diversity of local services in the area, nor is there an assessment of the continued availability of local services if the store was lost.”

“In addition, the potential loss of the sycamore to the south west boundary, which is considered to be an important landscape feature as it provides and important visual buffer between the application site and the existing properties to the south, would worsen the visual impact of the proposed development and so would also be harmful to the overall character and appearance of the area.”

Planners also expressed safety concerns over the distance and visibility between the proposed site access junction and the existing junction of Thelwall New Road and Bradshaw Lane and that the mooted parking arrangement could be abused.