DETERMINED Sale residents are hoping a thirteenth planning application to develop a house on Washway Road will be unlucky.

Twelve applications to convert the large house into a commercial site have been rejected since 1964.

And the thirteenth is being considered at a planning meeting at Trafford Town Hall tonight (Thursday).

The latest application has been made to convert the house into surgeries for "alternative medicine". A similar application was made last year, but this year's proposal intends to include one fewer surgery.

Previous applications have included six to use the site for offices and five to turn it into bed and breakfast accommodation.

But residents of Harboro Way, Harboro Road and Washway Road have strenuously opposed any commercial development on the site, which is located in a residential area.

They say granting planning permission would cause "planning creep", with more commercial premises intruding into the area.

One resident, Harry Kershaw, of Hesketh Road, said: "The whole of a large area could become non-residential, with a subsequent fall in property values."

Harry, who has now objected to all 13 applications, added: "We regard this building as an outpost - if it falls, then other buildings will follow. If we oppose it, then other residents can't point the finger at us."

The residents are also concerned about parking and traffic flow problems which would be caused by the development. They feel Hesketh Road would suffer from extra parking congestion.

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