Following the decision by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to call-in the controversial Six:56 planning application, Warrington South MP Andy Carter is calling on local residents to take part in the public inquiry into the development to make their views heard.
The Six:56 development, supported by Warrington Borough Council, proposes the construction of a large logistics hub just off M6 and M56 junctions in Grappenhall. The planning application by Langtree PP & Panattoni has faced widespread opposition in the local area owing to its being constructed on land that sits in the Green Belt, with 948 letters of objection having been submitted prior to councillors having approved the plans back in March.
After the Warrington South MP pushed for the planning application’s approval to be reversed, in June the then-Secretary of State directed Warrington Borough Council not to grant permission until he had reviewed whether to call-in the plans. Last month the development was called-in pending a local enquiry to be undertaken. The Planning Inspector has advised that the public enquiry will be held on dates in May 2023.
Andy Carter has long objected to the proposed use of Green Belt land for development at the expense of available brownfield sites. The MP has previously raised the issue of Six:56 with the Prime Minister directly in the House of Commons, as well as with ministers and officials in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
He commented: “Warrington Labour councillors voted through this planning application despite it being on the Green Belt, ignoring a huge number of objections from local residents. Following my intervention in Prime Minister’s Questions, the Secretary of State has decided to hold a public inquiry because of the scale of the development.
“We should be using brownfield sites first, protecting our Green Belt wherever possible. This development came before the approval of the Local Plan which considers the wider infrastructure needs of the town, and councillors should have refused it.
“It’s vital local people give their opinions to the Planning Inspector before the 25th January so that he sees the strength of feeling locally and stops this application once and for all.”
