Frodsham Town Council have referred an application to change the thatched roof of 89, Main Street from straw to water reed to Cheshire West and Chester Council Planning department.

By using water reed, the applicant suggests that the Grade II listed building, which dates from around 1640, will be more of a 'visual match' with its neighbours at 85 and 87, which are already thatched in this way.

"The current straw thatching at 89 Main Street is of poor quality, and it is leaking in water," the applicant wrote. "Changing to water reed will allow for better longevity and fewer issues than the current straw thatching.

"Changing to water reed allows for the work to be completed much quicker and to a better standard, given the better availability of water reed and its technological superiority compared with straw."

At a Frodsham Town Council Planning Committee meeting on Monday (19 April), Cllr Phil Griffiths suggested that the building's positioning within the Frodsham (Town) Conservation Area might affect the application, and recommended it be put to Cheshire West's Planning team "to see what the heritage considerations are."