A plan to transform the old Bowdon Hotel is up for approval by Trafford Council this week.

A proposal for apartments, townhouses, a care home and a children's nursery at the side of Langham Road were submitted to the authority in April 2022.

A number of buildings on the site, which is on the border of the Bowdon Conservation Area and the Hale Station Conservation Area, are to be removed.

But 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.

Trafford 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 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.

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

But a report to the Planning and Development Management Committee, which meets tonight at the town hall, said this alone is not a reason for refusal and stressed a moratorium is not an option at this time due to national planning policies.

It recommended the application for approval, subject to an agreement for the applicant to cover more than £2 million in contributions towards the provision of affordable homes, education, healthcare and open spaces elsewhere in the area.

It reads: "It is concluded that the benefits of granting planning permission outweigh the harms of doing so.

"All other planning matters have been assessed. No conflict with the development plan or the National Planning Policy Framework have been found in respect of any of these issues, which have been found to be acceptable, with, where appropriate, specific mitigation to be secured by planning condition or planning obligation. 

"It is considered that the application complies with the development plan when taken as a whole," it adds.

The Planning and Development Management Committee meets tonight at the town hall.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. Jack is the reporter for The Messenger and covers anything and everything from within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford.

To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.