A councillor has raised fears over the impact of more rented accommodation on her community, as planning chiefs look set to back plans to turn a pub and hotel into flats.

Halton Council's development management committee meets on Monday where it is recommended to approve plans by MM Properties NW to convert the Main Top Hotel on Mersey Road in West Bank, Widnes into six apartments.

The application originally proposed seven apartments but was reduced by one following negotiations with the council's planning team. The application is for individual apartments, not a house of multiple occupation (HMO).

A total of 32 representations have been received from the public, with concerns raised including parking and antisocial behaviour.

Central and West Bank councillor Pamela Wallace has also written a letter of objection and asked to speak at the upcoming meeting. She said the number of private rented accommodation and HMOs was having an adverse impact on West Bank's 'tight-nit community'.

In her letter, which was supported by fellow ward councillor Noel Hutchinson, she said: "Over the years, many properties have been purchased by estate agents or businesses fronting the absent purchaser or landlord, who often live hundreds of miles away.

"To them, it's a pension pot builder and they have no investment in communities. These properties have escalated and turned what was once family homes into private rents and HMOs.

"Residents adjacent to these properties, have either sold up and moved at a financial loss to themselves, or had and having to endure a life style unacceptable to them and their families."

In her letter Cllr Wallace, who said she was 'born and bred' in West Bank, claimed the noise from some properties could at times be 'excruciating'.

She added: "There have been physical and verbal confrontations, the fly-tipping problems escalated becoming a drain on our struggling public amenities and finances."

But a report to the committee recommended approval.

It said: "The proposal would bring forward residential development in a primarily residential area and the proposal demonstrates that a residential land use would be sympathetic to surrounding land uses and bring a vacant building back into use."

It said the council's highways department was satisfied with the the issues surrounding parking and waste removal.

The report added: "In terms of amenity, the applicant has complied with all officer requests. The proposal is considered to accord with the development plan and would contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in Halton. "