Plans approved for Cuddington residential treatment and therapy centre

A residential treatment and therapy centre on Green Belt land in Cuddington has been given the go-ahead by Cheshire West & Chester Council.

HOW Planning has secured permission for client The Bridge to proceed with the 23-bed residential therapy centre on the site of the former IMap Residential Special School off the A49, which will be demolished to make way for the scheme.

The therapy centre will treat private clients on a voluntary basis, with treatments including cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, and play therapy.

HOW said the planning application complied with the NPPF, with the replacement buildings in the same use and class of the existing facility on the site.

The building’s design is based on a courtyard layout and will be screened by tree-lined borders.

The Gatehouse, a single-storey building near the A49, will be retained as part of the project, which will also include associated landscaping, infrastructure works and parking.

JDA acted as architect on the scheme.

HOW planner Rachel Jones said: “This is a fantastic result for our client as it allows them to redevelop this brownfield site and bring it forward as a first class facility.

“We took every opportunity to liaise with the community and local stakeholders throughout the process to ensure all concerns were addressed and we were able to successfully demonstrate that the scheme will not be detrimental to the openness of the surrounding area and that its use will provide significant social benefits which will outweigh the loss of the locally listed building.”