robot Posted December 23, 2008 Report Share Posted December 23, 2008 Here we go again... "Secure Unit May Open Anger alarm and astonishment followed a shock announcement this week that a newly built medium secure mental hospital empty for 16 months can now still open....treating 75 patients in Bennetts Lane, near Penketh....it only had planning permission for a residential care home..." This announcement was buried on Page 5 of the thinnest Warrington Midweek ever, in an issue released on the day before Xmas Eve. I mention this, in case people may have been too busy with Christmas Priorities to read the Midweek and may not have realised that such 'manouverings' were still going on at this late point of the year. However I found the article kinda confusing- If Halton Council refused planning permission (over a Warrington Parish? or has Penketh defected?) then who overrode them, and why? Heck how many times have you heard of the Godlike powers of Council Officials of all kinds when it comes to planning permission! Is it fair that when Priory have apparently changed the goalposts for this building, Halton has to pay THEM compensation? (Again, anyone whos fallen foul of a Planning Officer- have you had similar compensation when confronted with a planning process?) Can someone also translate the Inspector Braithwaite's statement? Cos it sounded like complete nonsense to me! "Imposing a suitable restriction... to alternative use"? Was that 'alternative use' part of the application? Doesnt seem so judging by the reaction! And also, did Mr Rowley actually believe the incredibly smug-sounding statement at the end of the article? "Working WITH the Community?" Sounds it! Sorry if these questions seem a little basic, but as a mere resident of the general area I would like a little of the clarity Mr Rowley seems to have received! After all, both developments are pretty close to my doorstep! Oh by the way, to counter accusations made in the Titan post- I live in a Housing Authority property, so the value of my house isnt an issue javascript:emoticon(':lol:') I cant help that someone is stitching someone else up to an incredible scale somewhere with the developments in western Warrington- and the residents of both Burtonwood, Sankey and Penketh and being increasingly dumped on. I cant figure out why Omega is suddenly earmarked for a prison when the deal to build an industrial Estate there was apparently signed sealed and delivered? I could even imagine that this was the plan all the way along, and that it was certain to go ahead even before junction 8 was built (funny I always wondered why the Highways Agency suggested that the junction was "too small for an industrial estate access" after its completion). Likewise in Bennets lane we have another development that promised one thing and delivered something else that- judging by the timing of the statement- (the legally necessary notification issued on the day where attention is most likely to be directed away from it) suggests that the whole story- what is not mentioned in the article- is pretty unpleasant. Weve seen this tactic before, after all! I like many, would see "Medium Secure Mental Hospital" and imagine all sorts of things- having a Titan Prison in such proximity also raises another set of questions- would Bennets Lane play host to a future Ian Brady for instance? The article is not clear on that aspect at all! An interesting thoughts occured to me. Has Bennetts Lane got anything to do with the rejected application for the five storey development on Howley Quay a few years back, that involved "residents with a less than perfect past history"? Aww flip, im tired, and see too many conspiracies now! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted December 23, 2008 Report Share Posted December 23, 2008 someone has probably taken a Christmas backhander and ticked the "OK to open" box Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted December 23, 2008 Report Share Posted December 23, 2008 Isn't Bennetts Lane in Widnes????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 Multi-map gives this one - which looks like its in Widnes near Cuerdley Cross but locals will know better. http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=bennetts+lane+penketh&countryCode=GB#map=53.37349,-2.7051|16|4&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:53.37349:-2.7051:17|bennetts%20lane,%20widnes|Bennetts%20Lane,%20Runcorn,%20Widnes,%20Cheshire,%20England,%20WA8%200 You may have to cut and paste into the command line. Did it crop up as a burning issue in last weeks Parish Election? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 Well according Google Maps, it?s well and truly in Widnes so I can?t see what the worry is for people in Penketh. Does seem a bit sneaky though announcing such a decision in a midweek paper just prior to a national holiday when people have their minds on other things. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 Did it crop up as a burning issue in last weeks Parish Election? No Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 The Priory Group have been recruiting staff for sometime in preparation for the opening. The following link tells you more about them. They are best known for their clinic in the south where "celebrities" go when it all gets a bit too much for them. http://www.priorygroup.com With regards to the first post comment about Omega, the recession has put pay to major private sector commercial development there for the time being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 From the link Paul the Proiry establishments are many and varied throughout the UK and treating a varitye of patients. Did the newspaper have any justification for it's shock horror headlines or is this just rumour and congecture? I'd have thought that if they are opening their doors to patients then there is a demand locally for their services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 At least Kerry K won't have as far to go next time it all gets too much for her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 Do they take obsessive posters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 what.... like Observer the Obsessive you mean?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 Well according Google Maps, it?s well and truly in Widnes so I can?t see what the worry is for people in Penketh. Does seem a bit sneaky though announcing such a decision in a midweek paper just prior to a national holiday when people have their minds on other things. Bill Apparantly it was announced in the Widnes Weekly News over 3 weeks ago and the council do have to pay compensation, and yes it is in Widnes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted December 25, 2008 Report Share Posted December 25, 2008 Does this mean that Widnes has the foresight to look after the mental welfare of it's residents more so than Warrington by allowing such private investments to go ahead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 25, 2008 Report Share Posted December 25, 2008 Warrington stopped looking after theirs when they closed Winwick and turfed them out on to the streets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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