Residents win battle over stables

RESIDENTS who fought a lengthy battle against plans for a stable block on a Green Belt site have won a victory.
A government-appointed inspector has thrown out the proposals for land at Petersfield Gardens, Culcheth, on the grounds it would be damaging to the Green Belt.
Residents and parents of children at Twiss Green Primary School, backed by Culcheth Parish Council launched their fight at the beginning of the year.
They believe the development – a block of eight stables, store/tack room and hardstanding – would cause traffic chaos, was intrusive to residents and was too large for the Green Belt site.
They were also concerned that the only access to the site was a narrow route between two houses in a residential cul-de-sac in front of the primary school entrance and car park/drop off point.
They said there were no bridleways nearby, only footpaths and residential roads, and were concerned that horses, food, waste material, riders and vehicles would have to pass down the route.
Warrington Borough Council refused planning permission and now the inspector has also rejected an appeal.
The inspector said there would be no loss of amenity to residents as the low level buildings would not protrude above hedges and that existing traffic noise would not be significantly increased. He said there would be no significant increase to traffic congestion in the area.
But he ruled that the building would be “inappropriate” in the Green Belt area. He was uncertain whether the stables were genuinely required and said the building would result in loss of openness in a sensitive location.
A borough council spokesman said the inspector’s dismissal of the highway safety issue illustrated how difficult it was to use that as a reason to refuse planning consent.
Picture shows the residents’ protesting earlier this year.