RESIDENTS in Sale held a crisis meeting at weekend over a controversial plan to build a 57 bed care home.

A n application, which was submitted last April, is set to come before a future Trafford Council planning meeting, is seeking permission to demolish a smaller building and bungalow and to build a part three storey and part four storey building to provide the care home, with a provision of parking at 2, Ashlands and 43 Ashton Lane.

It is believed that planners are now recommending acceptance to the application, which residents fear will create traffic chaos if approved.

John Rafferty, one of the meeting organisers, said a total of 77 objections had been lodged with the local authority.

Mr Rafferty said the meeting, which was chaired by Cllr John Lamb, was to discuss residents objections to the plan

Mr Rafferty said a similar planning application was first refused in 2004 because the proposed development was deemed to be too big. A further planning application was again refused by the planning committee in 2010, a decision which was subsequently upheld on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate later the same year.

Mr Rafferty explained: "Residents are very angry that the developer has been allowed to submit this latest application because all the reasons why the application in 2010 was soundly rejected are still valid. The building would be massive and have a vastly overbearing presence by taking up to 30 per cent of Ashlands.

"The chairman of the planning committee in 2010, described the proposal by the developer as `trying to get a quart into a pint pot` and such a building is totally out of keeping with the nature and character of the area.

"All residents agreed that they want something that is significantly smaller."

The Messenger is still awaiting a response from Trafford Council to questions put to it last Thursday