January: New sheltered accommodation off Moor Lane

In January, an application was submitted for redevelopment of a site to the rear of Moor Lane, which would be used for sheltered accommodation for the elderly.

The development would comprise a 69 unit, four-storey apartment building, accommodating 120 bed spaces, 36 car parking spaces and landscaped gardens as well as retention and expansion of public car park to provide 47 parking spaces.

Part of the site is currently used for the Cheshire West Moor Lane car park, but the remainder is disused.

The application is still awaiting a decision.

February: A 245 home development in Helsby

A decision is also awaited on the 245 home development proposed for Cable Drive in Helsby. The application, which includes plans for flats, semi-detached and detached houses, was first submitted earlier this year.

Helsby Parish Council objected to the application in February and then again in November, citing various concerns over the plans, including highway access, school capacity and a lack of community engagement.

"This will probably be our last opportunity to use the last remaining brownfield site in Helsby to good effect for future generations. The application, as presently proposed, appears to be based on maximising the number of dwellings. The Parish Council would prefer to see an alternative approach and with climate change in mind," the Parish Council said.

March: No to a development on Bellemonte Road

In March, an application to demolish an empty house on Bellemonte Road and replace it with four new dwellings was refused.

The development would have involved terracing of the land to create a stepped effect, and the houses would have had four bedrooms, so failing to meet the local need for 1-3 bed starter and retirement homes.

This month, an appeal against the decision was lodged.

April: New holiday accommodation on Main Street

In April, Cheshire West Council received an application to convert the upstairs of 68, Main Street into short-let or holiday accommodation.

The application outlined plans for three ensuite rooms on the first and second floor of the building, which would retain its shop space on the ground floor.

The proposed plans were approved in July.

May: Two new houses behind Church Street

A proposal to build two detached houses on empty land behind 57 Church Street was submitted in May.

Having received no objections, Cheshire West approved the application in July.

June: Camping site development behind Helsby Park Homes

In June, an application was submitted to continue use of the touring caravan and camping site by Helsby Park Homes, with room for up to a maximum of 10 touring caravans at any one time and the creation of a portable toilet block within the existing building.

The camp site is currently permitted to host up to five caravans and motor homes at a time.

There were no objections from Frodsham Town Council, but Cheshire West were concerned that, as the site is located in the Green Belt, the proposal would amount to an 'inappropriate development'.

Planning was therefore refused and the applicant has lodged an appeal.

July: Opening a school in Castle Park

In July, a planning application seeking to change office space inside Castle Park House into a school was submitted to Cheshire West and Chester Council. The application was approved in November.

The application proposes the creation of a community hub element of Ancora House School, which provides temporary or long-term education for children and young people in Cheshire West who cannot access their mainstream school because of their medical needs.

The Ancora House School Hub will be located in the ground floor of Castle Park House, which is currently vacant, and the approval stipulates that no more than 30 children would be registered on the school roll at any one time.

August: New shops for Main Street

The end of the summer saw an application to convert the old Frodsham Barclays into a retail space.

The front part of the empty building, which is located at 125 Main Street, will be made into a shop, while the rear ground floor and first floor will still be used as a professional office space.

September: Seven new homes to replace the Cheshire Cheese pub

A planning application seeking to replace the Cheshire Cheese pub with housing was approved at the end of September.

The new development will involve the erection of six new homes, as well as the renovation of the pub building to create a further dwelling. It will be called Cheshire Cheese Court.

October: Two new dwellings to the rear of Red Lane refused

In October 2019, a planning application was submitted for two new semi-detached homes on a vacant, overgrown site off Red Lane.

It was proposed that the dwellings to be built into the rising bank between Red Lane and Ashlands, and that clearing the site would improve natural light access.

Frodsham Town Council had no objections, but local residents began a petition raising concerns over construction traffic, the ecological impact of building, overdevelopment and overcrowding.

In October of this year, the application was refused, on the grounds that the new houses would 'disrupt the legibility of the area and fail to make a positive contribution to [its] character.'

November: A new restaurant on Frodsham's Main Street

In November, Frodsham Town Council's Planning Committee welcomed a proposal to convert the old HSBC bank at 86 Main Street into a new hospitality venue.

The vacant building would be repurposed into a 50 cover restaurant, with one two-bedroom flat on the first floor.

The application has now gone forward for approval from Cheshire West and Chester.

December: New apartments on Main Street

This month, an application was submitted to convert unused office space on the first and second floors of 105 Main Street into apartments.

Under the proposed plans, there will be a new two-bedroom flat on each floor.