RESIDENTS living at a popular park homes site on the outskirts of Northwich are pleading with the owner to see common sense about its plans to demolish a cafe.

Ashwood Park on Chapel Street in Wincham has around 150 homes as part of the site, with current owner Tingdene recently applying to Cheshire West and Chester Council for planning permission to build another four.

As part of those plans, Tingdene say they want to demolish the existing cafe which sits towards the site entrance and replace it with four new park homes, a move which residents say would have a devastating impact on their lives.

Julia Griffiths, who is secretary of the Ashwood Park Residents Association, retired to live on the site with her husband Russell, about three years ago.

She said: "Our community is devastated by this application for a number of reasons.

"The facilities within the current building and those before it, have been utilised by us and previous residents for over 35 years.

"It has always provided a functional amenity and social hub for residents and the surrounding community, many of whom do not drive, have a disability, live alone, and rely on the café to provide meals and use this facility for social interaction.

"Although in the application, Tingdene say there are similar facilities one kilometre away, that distance is actually closer to two and a half.

"Another big problem is for those of us who don't drive as the Wincham and Marston communities that surround the park are not served by a bus service."

The residents say Tingdene have made no attempt to consult those currently living on the site about the plans, which do not contain any provision for replacement services to be provided either.

"Covid has hit the hospitality industry hard over the last 18 Months," she went on.

"We should be supporting small businesses like this cafe, not contributing to their demise in the community."

More than 250 people, including 150 residents, have signed a petition appealing to Tingdene to withdraw the application, which has a deadline for comments set for June 5.

Wincham Parish councillor Will Shirley, who has been a resident at Ashwood Park for almost eight years, said there is already too much development in the area.

He said: "I live in the older part and the site is just getting bigger and bigger.

"There's been something on the site for around 35 years, I believe it was a general shop for many years before it was a cafe.

"I also worry about the safety aspect of coming out of the park as there is an issue with speeding on Chapel Street.

"The visibility is poor as it is without these new homes being built."

Marion Potts, who is the chair of neighbouring Marston Parish Council, said she was keen to show her support to the elderly residents.

She said: "We only found out about it very recently.

"But it does impact on Marston too because there aren't any facilities in the village, bar the garage.

"The existing cafe is well used and it just seems wrong to remove the one facility we've got in the area, especially as most of the people who live in Wincham and Marston are older people.

"The site at Ashwood Park has just grown and grown.

"You can't have those sort of things without some sort of facilities alongside them.

"It's very unfair."

Tingdene have been approached for a comment.