THE Save Peel Hall Campaign Group’s Rule 6 Party has confirmed it has received notification that the future of North Warrington’s last natural green space now lies in the hands of the Secretary of State.
Campaigners recently received notice that the Public Inquiry Inspector Christina Downes had submitted her report to Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and local Government, and that a deadline for the decision announcement has been set by November 9th.
The report was expected to be submitted in July, but this was delayed to allow parties to comment on the revised National Planning Policy Framework which came into force on July 20th.
The inquiry came after a legal battle when landowner Satnam Millennium Ltd appealed against Warrington Borough Council’s Development Management Committee’s refusal to allow the developer permission to build a 1,200-home ‘multi-neighbourhood’ on the former farmland site. Although this appeal was eventually dismissed by the Secretary of State, it was overturned by the High Court, forcing the council, Satnam and the Save Peel Hall campaigners into the complex inquiry ring again.
The inquiry opened in September 2020 but was promptly adjourned. It then reopened this year and officially closed in March giving Ms Downes time to re-visit the site and to compile her official report.
“All the hard slog has been done now. Our Rule 6 Party were absolutely outstanding at the inquiry. We could not have performed any better. Our professionalism shone through, and this was acknowledged by the Inspector who took time to emphasise that our conduct had been exemplary throughout.” Said campaigner Wendy Johnson-Taylor.
She added: “We sincerely hope that all our demanding work pays off and that common sense prevails. It is evidently crystal clear that this site, although classed as ‘available’ for housing, is most definitely not a sustainable or compatible piece of land for development. We are keeping everything crossed. This will be a tense waiting game, but to be honest, even though we are anticipating some wait, an announcement could break at any time between now and the November 9 deadline.”
