FULL planning permission has now been granted to demolish a former Chester nursery and use the site to build seven three-bedroom homes.

The much-loved Pipers Day Nursery on Alder Grove in Hoole closed its doors for good back in July 2018.

The Standard reported at the time that parents had been left "devastated" by the sudden closure of the nursery.

Its owner said it had no choice but to shut due to decreasing child numbers and a reduction in local government funding.

In January 2019, members of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s planning committee voted 9-1 in favour of outline plans for a housing development at the vacant site.

A full planning application for the scheme – which will see two pairs of semi-detached homes and a three-home terrace built on the land – was submitted on behalf of Chester-based Elate Construction Ltd back in March this year.

It was rubber stamped by the council on Friday, May 14.

In his report recommending approval, case officer Ben Greenwood said: "The application site is located off Alder Grove, within the settlement boundary of Chester.

"The site is approximately 0.19 hectares and comprises an existing building last in use, over two years ago, as a private day nursery, and an extensive area of hardstanding last used for parking/playground.

"Permission is sought for the demolition of the now vacant day nursery building and the erection of seven three bed dwellings.

"Extant outline permission was granted in January 2019 for the demolition of existing day nursery and erection of seven two bed dwellings in a similar layout to that now proposed, only matters of landscaping were reserved for approval."

He added: "The seven, two storey, dwellings would be laid out in a small terrace of three and two semi-detached pairs each with individual access and tandem parking to the front.

"The submitted site layout plan shows intersecting garden areas with landscape planting and low boundary treatments.

"This provides a relatively open frontage which is not unacceptably dominated by car parking.

"By providing an open planted frontage and with visual separation between buildings the development would not appear unduly cramped or overdeveloped and would not be considered unacceptably out of character with neighbouring development or the wider streetscene.

"The proposed site layout provides adequate separation to neighbouring properties to ensure that the privacy of existing and future occupiers is safeguarded to a satisfactory degree and would provide adequate amenity space for future residents.

"The proposed seven dwellings within the settlement boundary of Chester is considered acceptable in principle and the provision of additional housing is beneficial, both in terms of social and economic aspects."