REVISED plans to demolish a Knutsford school which closed last year and replace it with new homes have been submitted this week.

Cheshire East Council rejected the first application to bulldoze Yorston Lodge Preparatory School in May this year for heritage reasons and this is currently at appeal.

Modern Unique Developments Ltd have now slightly modified their plans to flatten the former school on Bexton Road and build six two-storey dwellings.

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The proposals include four two-bed homes, one three-bed and a larger property, which the developer says could be classed as a three or four-bed dwelling.

Yorston Lodge closed last year as it was considered no longer 'financially viable'Yorston Lodge closed last year as it was considered no longer 'financially viable' (Image: Newsquest)

Each property will have its own parking.

The council turned down their initial bid because it ‘would fail to make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the area and would cause less than substantial harm to the setting of the St John’s Conservation Area’.

The school closed suddenly in summer 2023 as it was considered no longer ‘financially viable’.

The council’s heritage officer objected to the proposed development and believes the existing Victorian buildings could be retained to preserve their distinctive mid 19th century character.

However, the developer said that adaptation of the buildings would be ‘extremely difficult and make the scheme unviable’.

The proposed creation of front parking spaces, the council believes, is ‘an alien feature’ in the immediate locality.

Developers say other front parking spaces already exist on Bexton Road but they have revised their designs with soft landscaping.

The council felt that the proposed scheme would appear ‘discordant and incongruous’ and would ‘harm the setting of the conservation area’.

In a heritage assessment, Garry Millar heritage consultancy said: “The response entirely overlooks the public benefit of an increase in the local housing supply.”

The council believes the density, design, form, mass and character of the proposed development would ‘create a continuous high built form which would dominate this part of Bexton Road’.

Developers say the site stands within an area dominated by terraces of the late 19th or early 20th century.

Their assessment states: “The proposed development is simply a reflection of the established streetscene.”

A design and access statement has been submitted by Bayon Architectural Technology Ltd, on behalf of the applicant.

The document states: “The school closed in summer 2023 as it was no longer financially viable.

“It is now vacant and deteriorating. It is also attracting criminal behaviour as there have been attempted break-ins.

“Many design aspects are unchanged and were accepted on the refused application.

“The revised scheme has addressed the comments from heritage and conservation with an improved vertical emphasis.

“To achieve this the roof height has been increased a modest 300mm from the previous scheme.

“The proposed main ridge over 2m lower than the existing building and the gables 1.2m lower.”

Other amendments have also been made.

The council received 42 letters in support of the initial scheme and nine objections.

The new application, number 24/2932M can be viewed on the Cheshire East website.

The closing date for submitting comments is September 10.

The application is to be determined by a planning officer under delegated authority.