Over the last few weeks I have been contacted by many residents from across South Warrington who
have expressed their concerns and objections to proposals put forward during the local plan
consultation for a development of significant scale on green belt land north of Barleycastle Lane,
Appleton Thorn. I am also aware that the applicant made a similar application in 2018 which was
rejected by the DMC and which is now the subject of an appeal.
Having had an opportunity to review the published documents, I am of the opinion that the
application is fundamentally the same in nature as the one which was rejected less than 12 months
ago. In my opinion the grounds for refusal have not altered, in that the application is being made
at a premature stage in the process of the Local Plan development and that the necessary
exceptional circumstance for development in the Green Belt have not been met. Granting permission
now would make a mockery of such an important statutory consultation and would act as an immediate
invitation to further applications without regard for consideration of the necessary infrastructure
to accommodate such growth.
You will be aware that the recently revised National Planning Policy framework strengthened
protection of the Green Belt. By making clear that its boundaries should only be altered where
exceptional circumstances are ‘fully evidenced and justified’, and once all other reasonable
options for meeting development needs have been examined. It cannot be right that this vast area
of green belt is released prior to the conclusion of the public consultation and be tested through the examination of the Independent Planning Inspectorate.
