Vandalised Lancashire health centre building set to be flattened
A vandalised and vacant former health centre building has been earmarked for new flats and houses. James Cooney from J.Cooney Ltd wants to demolish the former Clayton Clinic in Church Street, Clayton-Le\u0002-Moors, and replace it with a two and three-storey residential building comprising six one-\u0002bedroom apartments and two three-bedroom houses.
The new building would have 12 parking spaces, enhanced landscaping, and sustainable access provisions. A supporting statement submitted with the application says: “The site is situated on Church Street in Clayton le Moors, Accrington positioned to the north of Church Street, adjacent to the Church Street/Grange Street junction within the Mercer Park Conservation Area.
“It is bounded by Mercer Park to the west, All Saints Parish Church grounds to the south, and established Victorian residential properties to the north and east. Currently occupied by a single-storey building (former Clayton Health Centre), the site includes mature trees along the eastern and southern boundaries, comprising Sycamore, Ash, Lime, and Common Hawthorn species
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“A small parking area accessed from Church Street serves staff and visitors. The property has been vacant for approximately five years and has been subject to significant vandalism, necessitating boarding up of the building.
“The proposed development aligns with the Mercer Park Conservation Area’s character by incorporating sandstone elevations, stone detailing, and a terraced layout that complements neighbouring Victorian villas and terraced houses. The design ensures architectural harmony with the surrounding Grade II listed buildings and Victorian-style properties.
“The housing stock in the immediate area is made up of two and three-bedroomed houses, with an occasional property being four-bedroomed town house. All properties are multi level.arrangements. The need for different smaller, single-level properties was identified early on.
“The immediate locale has an abundance of two to three-bedroomed properties available, but this means that families wanting to downsize but stay in the area have little options. Families needing more bedrooms but also wanting to stay in the area also face the problem of bigger houses being unavailable, so the attic conversion remains the obvious option.
“The proposals shown on this scheme would provide two accessible apartments; four first and second floor apartments; and two three-bedroomed houses Each property would have access to shred landscaped open spaces, an area of private gardens for the two houses and a private balcony to the first and second floor “apartments.
“Our scheme looks to provide quality housing in an established community.”