Plans for a Congleton nursing home to significantly extend its building have been approved despite over 50 objections being submitted against the proposal.

Heliosa Care and Nursing Home, on Boundary Lane, Mossley, submitted plans for a single-storey extension to their premises which would include new bedrooms, a laundry room and a lounge.

However, a petition lodged against the plans had more than 1,700 signatures because of the impact on the natural wildlife habitat.

Cheshire East also received around 50 letters of objections regarding the plans.

Congleton Town Council objected to the proposals because of highway safety issues, noise and intrusion on nature conservation.

The site is designated as being within the South Cheshire green belt in the adopted local plan.

In a Cheshire East planning officer's report, it stated: "The proposal is for a single-storey extension within the curtilage of the property and as such it is considered that there would not be a greater impact on the openness of the green belt and the purpose of including land within it."

The proposed extension would include a "simple" pitched roof design and would create an enclosed courtyard.

Given that the site houses dementia patients, a planning officer felt the creation of the courtyard would create a "secure" outdoor area that residents could "safely" access, which was a "positive benefit" of the scheme.

However, the planning officer felt a condition should be imposed requiring facing and roofing materials to match as closely as possible, those on the existing building.

The report stated that the development would not cause any significant detriment to the amenity neighbouring properties in terms of privacy, light loss, outlook or noise. This was largely due to the large conifer hedge on the boundary.

Concerns had been expressed about noise from residents and light disturbance when staff cars enter and leave the site.

However, the planning officer felt it was "not considered that these issues could be sustained as a reason for refusal".

The parking at the site would be increased to 22 spaces. It was acknowledged that Boundary Lane suffers issues with on-street parking, however given the increase in parking provision, a reason for refusal on these grounds could not be "sustained".

There are some trees, most of which were determined to be "poor quality", within the rear garden where the development is proposed, none of which are subject to preservation orders.

Replacement planting was proposed in the submitted landscape plan, that would "mitigate the loss of any trees present within the garden".

The 40-bed care home is currently the subject of an ongoing fraud investigation by Cheshire Police.