SOLICITORS acting for a major house builder have warned planning chiefs at Warrington that if proposals for 1,100 new homes at Omega South are approved without resolving forecast traffic problems they will seek to block the scheme by way of judicial review.
The proposals, reported by Warrington-Worldwide yesteday, also involve a new district centre, with shops, hotel, medical centre, etc., and are due to be considered by the borough council’s development management committee next Wednesday.
Other proposals, for 275 homes on the eastern section of Lingley Mere Business Park, are to be considered at the same time and planning officers are recommending both schemes be approved.
The scheme, submitted by Omega Warrington Ltd, includes a £1.25 million contribution towards the cost of a proposed upgrade to Junction 8 on the M62 and there are planned improvements to the local road network .
But solicitors acting for Wain Homes Developments Ltd, who have property interests in the area, have written to the council expressing “significant concerns” over the transport implications of the proposed development. They say information being supplied to the council is defective.
The letter states: “In short it would appear that the transport assessment fail to assess the true impact of the development on the local highway network and, in particular, the effect it will have on the junction of Lingley Green and Liverpool Road, where there are already existing traffic difficulties.”
Comparisons with current levels of traffic, using recognised models and assessment methods show that the Park Road roundabout, which currently has no significant problems, will with the addition of 1,100 homes, will be “unstable” by 2027.
Queues of 100 vehicles can also be expected at the junction of Lingley Green Avenue and Liverpool Road.
The applicants need to consider the impact of their proposals on the local highway network in a fully and comprehensive way, not in a partial way.
The solicitors argue that if the council approves the proposals it will be an “unsound decision” because the full impact of the traffic and highways have not been fully considered.
“In the event of an approval being granted, my clients will have no option but to consider its remedies against the council by means of Judicial Review. This position has been carefully considered.”
Highways England and Warrington’s own highways team have raised no objection to the scheme, subject to conditions.
But there are strong objections from local residents on the grounds of predicted “huge traffic problems”.
Builders threaten judicial review over Omega homes plan
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There is to be a £1.25 million ‘contribution’ towards the cost of a proposed upgrade to junction 8 on the M62 and planned improvements to the local road network, – but what will the total cost of these upgrades be and who will be paying the difference? Why are the developers not paying the total cost?
There are strong objections from the people of Warrington on the grounds of obvious huge prevailing traffic problems across the borough which they face daily and which show no sign of abating.
Good on them – its about time someone stood up to the planners who for too long have been serving the interests of the developers and chasing council tax rather than the public. This scheme could be good and satisfy concerns of local people if the planners didn’t take the lazy approach and agree every scheme presented to them without challenge – in my opinion what they lack in drive and imagination they make up for in arrogance.