Major homes plan gets green light

PLANNING chiefs have given the go ahead for a development of 104 houses – including affordable homes – on land at Latchford, Warrington.
Members of the borough council’s development management committee unanimously gave the scheme the green light after studying a lengthy report on remedial measures to be taken because of contaminated land on the site.
The development will be carried out by Halebank Developments (Warrington) Ltd.
Former Mayor Cllr Steve Wright and ward councillor Hans Mundry attended the meeting to outline the worries of local residents who felt they had not been adequately consulted.
The committee was told the tipping of tannery wastes on the site ended around 1980. The site was then capped with a thin covering of soil and allowed to re-vegetate although ground gas was known to be generated on the site.
As a result of 18 months of talks with consultants, proposals for remedial measures and protection for houses in nearby Pichael Nook had been significantly changed from those originally proposed.
The source of ground gas was now thought to be on site, rather than from Westy Park, as originally thought.
External gas protection now proposed comprised three “Virtual Curtains” – a network of permeable conduit tubes sunk into the ground and ventilated using “above ground” inlet and exhaust pipes allowing gases to be diluted and to vent free to the atmosphere.
Planning officers said the proposals were in accordance with the council’s housing policy framework and the provision for affordable housing – 70 per cent – was in excess of current requirements.
Landscaping proposals were acceptable and despite the concerns expressed, the council’s environmental and public protection service believed that providing conditions are imposed there will not be a material harmful impact on the living conditions of existing or proposed dwellings.