Policy BLACON2: Community Facilities
Policy BLACON2:
The Neighbourhood Plan identifies a number of Community Facilities, as listed below and shown on the Policies Map.
- King George V Community Sports Facility
- St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School
- St Theresa’s RC Church
- Florence Grogan House Care Home
- Holy Trinity Church
- Blacon Beacon
- The United Reform Church
- The Arches Community Primary School
- Blacon Children’s Centre
- Highfield Community Primary School
- Chester Skills Development Centre
- Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
- JH Godwin Primary School and Stepping Stones Pre-School
- Blacon High School
- Willows Care Home
- Matthew Henry Evangelical Church
- Ash Tree Day Nursery
- Dee Point Primary School
- Chester Mosque and Islamic Centre
- Western Avenue Medical Centre
- Busy Bees Chester Hopscotch Childcare
Proposals that will harm or result in the loss of a Community Facility use will not be supported unless it can be clearly demonstrated that:
- A replacement building and/or land can be provided in an equally convenient location within the community it serves; or
- It can be demonstrated that the facility is no longer required for its existing use, or for any other community use in the built-up area in which it is located, as appropriate to the type of use under consideration.
Proposals to improve the viability of an established community use of buildings and ancillary land by way of its extension or partial redevelopment will be supported, provided the design of the scheme and the resulting increase in use are appropriate, will not harm the amenities of adjoining residential properties, and will not undermine the viability of the primary community use.
Western Avenue Medical Centre
Blacon High School
Not only is it important to create new facilities, but it is also vital that Blacon’s existing facilities are kept. This policy identifies all those facilities that the community wants to keep. They are a mix of religious worship sites, educational facilities, sport & recreational facilities, charitable institutions, skills centres and residential care homes. In planning terms they are classed as either ‘Local Community Uses’ (Class F2); ‘Learning and non-residential institutions’ (F1), in the case schools and churches; ‘Commercial, Business and Service’ (E) uses in the case of day nurseries and skills centres; and ‘Residential institutions’ (C2) in the case of residential care homes.
As finding land for such uses is often difficult, it is important that established land is retained in that use, even if the current occupier is not viable.