I have to admit I was a little surprised to see Warrington Borough Council sneaking out a press release to say that they were extending the consultation on their “unsound” Local Plan after becoming aware that not everyone received notification on the Proposed Main Modifications.
When I spoke at the Examination in Public of the Local Plan back in September, I highlighted five areas where I was particularly concerned that the proposals either failed to adequately address or went too far. My concerns were around the level of housebuilding required to meet projected ONS demand for the area, an apparent lack of priority to regenerate the town centre, allocating excessive portions of Green Belt land for development at the expense of available brownfield sites, inadequate proposed road infrastructure and the overall environmental impact of the Local Plan.
The Inspectors agreed with many of my points, particularly when it came to the Green Belt. The original proposals to make available some 316.26ha of land for the proposed South East Warrington Economic Area were been found to be excessive and the Planning Inspectors recommended reducing this figure to 168ha, broadly aligning with the projected increase in the labour supply as a result of the proposed housing requirement of 816 homes per year. The reduced requirement for employment land is able to be met by existing commitments and the proposals for development on the Fiddlers Ferry Power Station site.
So I was even more shocked when an announcement was made by Warrington Council to hold a further hearing about the level of employment land needed, particularly as the Green Belt area being removed from the Local Plan was subject to a planning inquiry itself, where a developer proposed a massive logistics hub, which has just been adjourned until October.
Warrington deserves a Local Plan that is going to benefit the people who live here, but the proposals originally put forward by the Borough Council would be more to the benefit of developers who would fail to capitalise on skilled sectors in our town, such as the massive growth in energy security. I want to see a Local Plan that is focused on delivering for Warrington residents, one which has been shaped by the people who live here and understands the needs of our town.
I’ve taken the opportunity to write to the Secretary of State to seek his assurance that the needs of local people are prioritised and that the independent Inspectors are allowed to make objective decisions, within the national planning framework, of protecting the Green Belt and prioritising brownfield regeneration.
The consultation period on the Local Plan modifications is running until 5pm on 5th July, residents wishing to view the schedule of modifications and take part in the consultation can do so here: www.warrington.gov.uk/main-modifications-2023
As ever, if my team or I can be of assistance with an issue please drop an email to [email protected]
