A “MASTERPLAN” for Warrington’s Peel Hall Farm site shows three distinct phases of development.
The document, marked “confidential,” has been sent to MP Helen Jones.
She says it shows three phase of development, the second of which is divided into five sections.
The Warrington North MP added: “Despite assurances given to some residents by the Satnam representative at the recent exhibition held in Cinnamon Brow, that they had no plans for any further development after the 150 houses currently suggested, the masterplan shows a great deal more is planned.
“The masterplan suggests that the current proposal is only phase 1 of a greater development which includes phase 2a, phase 2b, phase 2c, phase 2d, phase 2e and phase 3.”
Ms Jones said the document seemed to “marry up” with discussions which took place in January last year involving borough council planning, urban designand highways officers and representatives from developers Satnam and their architects.
She said: “The notes of that meeting, which I had to obtain via a Freedom of Information request, described three phases totalling 1,400 houses, employment units and community facilities.
“None of these future plans have been put before residents by Satnam. Their representative at the exhibition told people that he wanted to be open and transparent.
“Surely, if that was the case he should have placed the masterplan on display as well as his proposals for the 150 houses currently suggested.
“I believe residents have a right to know what the future plans are for the site and to be given an opportunity to express their views.
“Opposition to the 150 house plan is huge with over 600 signatures on a petition already.”
Ms Jones says she is concerned about the role council officers may have had in the matter.
In an email to ward councillors, council officers say they have not seen any proposals for development beyond the current scheme for 150 dwellings.
“This is at odds with the notes of meetings I secured via my FOI request where the three phases have clearly been discussed.”
The MP says she is now asking the borough council if any meetings have taken place with Satnam since July last year and if anyone at the council has seen the Satnam masterplan.
16 Comments
Hmm… I was away on Holiday when the Exhibition came to Town and requested details – but this wasn’t mentioned – mind you if I had stayed in the Seaside Town for an extra week I would have met up with one of their representatives as my neighbour did – although all he said was hello. Imagine if he’d seen this last week? Anyway I’ve only had a few emails so far with people threatening not to vote for me if I don’t vote against the proposals. However I must repeat that I am a member of the planning committee and as such have to keep an open mind until I take my seat on the committee when the proposed application will be presented. I can of course read your emails for and against. Mind you as everyone knows my address no doubt you will appear at my front door. Fortunately this doesn’t happen too often but if you do lose your temper because feeling are already very y high over this issue and I know how passionate people are about this proposal – please leave my family out of it they will kindly take a message, they are not used to how people feel about councillors.
Is this suggesting that officers have misled councillors about the plans?
Don’t think so, greyman, I’d guess this plan is all Satnam’s own work and was first seen around 15 years ago, no surprises here for me. All this still flies in the face of WBC’s pending core strategy plan (eg brownfield sites first, non-phased development), and there’s still no figures on the number of affordable homes across the whole site. It’ll be a rum do between Ballater Drive roundabout and Mill Lane with new junctions and all the extra traffic. Oh, and how can Mr Dhillon include land that doesn’t belong to him in all of this? There’s a net loss of recreational space in these plans.
Fugtifino maybe right the plans above do look similar to the ones lodged last century that I studied in the planners viweing room in NewTown House. However there is not enough detail to be sure as this is only an outline.
Well, as near as dammit for me. Would it compromise you to respond to the question about including land that doesn’t belong to the developer, Geoff?
The developer does not need to own the land that they submit an application for. I could submit one for a house in Geoff’s back garden if I wanted, but I wouldn’t be able to implement it if it was approved! Land ownership is not a material consideration at all
Archie my advisor tells me that shouldn’t be a problem. As far as I’m aware it’s effectively government land – I think the organisation used to be English Estates and is now something like Home and Counties or some variation of that. I think they also owned the land that the Olympic Park where the new Home Office Building was built off Woolston Ave – that building and its legacy has been keeping me very busy ever since I was elected as a councillor, for the last two years.
I think that there is also another bit of land off Blackbrook Avenue just but the carol entrance – there was talk, again 10 or so years ago of building a petrol station there – but that went away – it is only a small plot and currently forming a nice wet area consisting of a mini pool and reeds.
As you say it was in the original plan and would mean that a road would be driven through the current football pitches behind the Mill House – this would if the phased approach is legitimate to be the main entrance/exit into the area that was previously bull dozed by the land owner back. Allegedly that Park Wardens and conservationists were up in arms at the time but there was nothing that they could – any sign of endangered species was given a battering.
It would be very interesting to see if the new plans give some protection to the green areas and corridors that link the woods and small ponds.
I went to that exhibtion early on at St Bridgets, they definitely said that only the 150 and sports facilities are their plan, definitely misleading somewhere. I agree with Geoff and understand why you have to be objective.
Hi, Please can someone tell me how to sign the petition. There was talk also at the “informative” Satnam presentation, that an action group would be set up, any news on this, or a residents meeting to set such an action group up?
Reflex – that sounds daft, but we are talking about planning law here i suppose. “but I wouldn’t be able to implement it if it was approved!” – so, why would someone bother?
Geoff – Thanks.
Geoff’s neighbour – see here: http://www.warringtonlabour.com/warrington-north/campaigns/news.aspx?p=102171
There are rumblings but nobody’s arranged anything yet as far as I know.
It is daft but that’s the law. People do it to speculate – sometimes to add value to their own land holdings but usually to see if it is worth trying to buy the other land or else to apply pressure for that purchase. Don’t underestimate Satnam – they will be canny opponents!
“Ms Jones says she is concerned about the role council officers may have had in the matter.” Aren’t we all? This sort of thing has been endemic in the borough for years. Yet no matter what comes to light, or how much we complain, we are repeatedly told “lessons have been learned”, and led to believe “things will improve”; but they never do.
Heh, “canny” is a good choice of word here. A quick google for synonyms include words like “sly”, “cunning” and “slippery”. As well as “intelligent”, “sagacious” and “ingenious”. It’s a rare one who combines all of these, and rarer still to be able to buy it if you ain’t got it.
Residents should not give up their fight. They must combine as an “Action Group” and fight for what they believe in. Some years ago the residents at Woolston & Rixton took on a very much bigger developer – Peel Development – who wanted to develop at Tip on manchester Road. After a very long fight the residents were victorious. Kepp up the fight! Good luck and hope you win.
I live in Houghton green and just cant believe what they are proposing whislt walking my dog just today through peel park I was almost knocked over by 2 lads on a motorbike no helments making a general nusiance of them selfs and these will be the type of people who will be buying the cheap houses satnam propse its going to be like living on the edge iof beruit ! the police helicopter is flying over orford atleast once a week and satnam will be moving them into houghton green where honest desent people who have worked hard all there lives to buy there nice homes
No green space to enjoy and terrible traffic Mill lane is just to narrow to have at least 150 more cars using it each day We will fight it people of houghton green need to unite !!
It’s an old trick, starve the council of cash and they become desperate.
All those taxes will come in handy.