A row is brewing over plans to build a community café on a grassed area on a Congleton housing estate.

Sam Cook wants to build the café on vacant land at Penrith Court but the proposal has stirred opposition from locals.

The application comes seven months after Cheshire East Council refused an application from RR Build & Design to construct a detached house on the site.

A design and access statement submitted with the café application by Harry Sculthorp on behalf of Mr Cook states: "The land concerned is highly regarded by local residents as an open area of significance serving the community and local ecology, this is a very important consideration and one to be respected and preserved.

"The proposed development recognises the importance of what the local community values.

"In light of that, the development proposal aims to occupy less than 17 per cent of the application plot with a 30m² café that will serve the local community between the hours of 8am to 4pm."

It continues: "A quick study of the local area reveals that there are little to no public amenities of the type proposed in this application, hence why we believe the addition of a community café to Penrith Court would, on numerous levels, be a valued community asset in this particular area of Congleton.

"The remaining plot amounting to approximately 130m², remains unchanged and open to local residents to walk to."

Several local residents don't agree and, at the time of writing, nine letters of objection have been sent to Cheshire East Council.

One stated: "There is no need for a cafe on Penrith court as there are numerous places that provide hot and cold food and drinks…

"A cafe could also act as a magnet for young people to meet and hang out, in or out of business hours, which could cause a noise / litter etc nuisance in and around Penrith Court."

Another said: "This community cafe would look completely out of place on a random patch of land in the middle of this housing estate.

"It is not needed and is also completely unwanted by the community."

And a third stated: "This is a piece of green land valued by the local community."

The application, number 24/0270C, can be viewed on the planning portal on Cheshire East Council's website.

The last date for submitting comments is February 19 and, according to the council's website, the application is due to considered by the southern planning committee on March 6.