Work starts on multi-million-pound Bowdon Hotel plans

A scheme for apartments, townhouses, a children's nursery and a care home was approved by Trafford Council a year ago.

Some buildings belonging to the old Bowdon Hotel, on Langham Road, are to be removed as a part of the plan by a partnership of McGoff Group and Patrick Properties.

However the old Hydropathic Establishment, or Hydro, as well as villas Hawthorn Lea and Langham Lea, are to be retained. These buildings date back to the late 1800s.

The transformation is underway and the completion of the children's nursery, to be run by Back to the Garden, and the care home, to be run by New Care, is scheduled for the springtime next year.

Dean Johnston, of McGoff Group, said: "We are delighted to start on site transforming the hotel into much-needed care facilities for some of the oldest and youngest members of our local community. 

"Following the success of our flagship first intergenerational scheme in Lymm, Cheshire, we have seen first-hand the incredible impact this kind of setting can provide for the local community and we are looking forward to delivering this in Bowdon."

At the time of the approval the council received a number of representations from residents and other bodies in the area. Dozens of residents wrote in support of the plan, as did other organisations such as the Altrincham and Bowdon Civic Society and Altrincham Grammar School for Boys.

However, a number of residents wrote in opposition to the proposal, expressing concerns ranging from its appearance and character to its impact on traffic in the area.

Perhaps the most important opponent was the authority's own Adult Social Care Department, which said the creation of another care home was not needed and even suggested a moratorium on these developments in order to relieve pressures such as staff shortages.

A lot of councillors on the authority's Planning and Development Management Committee agreed with this assessment, but these were told in no uncertain terms this was not a reason for refusal.

Rebecca Coley, Head of Planning and Development, said: "A planning committee must make decisions on planning grounds. You can't make decisions on grounds which aren't planning grounds. 

"We will lose an appeal and we will end up with a care home anyway."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.