WARRINGTON South MP Andy Carter is urging local residents to engage with the planning inspectorate after the date was announced for the public inquiry into the controversial Six56 logistics development at Grappenhall.
The dates for the eight-day inquiry have been scheduled for May 9-12 and May 23-26 – with a deadline of January 25 for representations to be received.
The inspector holding the inquiry will be R Catchpole BsC (hons) PhD MCIEEM IHBC and it will open at 10am on May 9 at a venue to be announced.
The Planning casework Unit can not forward any correspondence that was submitted to them before the case was called in.
Any matters to be put before the inspector should be sent to [email protected] quoting reference APP/M0655/V/22/3311877.
Doucuments can also be submitted with the above reference number via the internet at https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk before January 25.
Mr Carter said: “Warrington Labour councillors voted through this planning application despite it being on green belt, ignoring a huge number of objections from local residents. After I intervened in Prime Minister’s Questions the Secretary of State has decided to hold a public inquiry because of the scale of the development.
“We should be using brownfield development sites first, protecting our green belt wherever possible, this development came before the approval of the local plan which considers the wider infrastructure needs of the town, Councillors should have refused it.
“It’s vital local people give their opinions to the Planning Inspector before the 25th of January so that he sees the strength of feeling locally and stops this application once and for all.”
The application by Langtree PP & Panattoni is on Green Belt to the west of Junction 20 of the M6 Motorway, and Junction 9 of the M56 Motorway and to the south of, Grappenhall Lane/Cliff Lane (known as Six56 Warrington) Grappenhall, Warrington, seeks Outline Planning (Major) ‐ Outline application (all matters reserved except for access) comprising the construction of up to 287,909m² (gross internal) of employment floorspace (Use Class B8 and ancillary B1(a) offices), demolition of existing agricultural outbuildings and associated servicing and infrastructure including car parking and vehicle and pedestrian circulation, alteration of existing access road into site including works to the M6 J20 dumbbell roundabouts and realignment of the existing A50 junction, noise mitigation, earthworks to create development platforms and bunds, landscaping including buffers, creation of drainage features, electrical substation, pumping station, and ecological works, accompanied by an Environmental Statement.
Commenting at the time the Secretary of State called-in for examination the company’s application for 3.1m square feet of new employment space at its proposed Six56 development in Warrington, John Downes, group chief executive of Langtree, said: “A review of this nature is not unexpected when set against the scheme’s scale and job-creation impact and I have instructed my team to begin work immediately to prepare the information that the Secretary of State and Planning Inspectorate will require.
“Our application is in-line with Warrington’s emerging local plan, which has identified the site as necessary for meeting its statutory employment land obligations. We can demonstrate a clear and compelling economic case for the site and, as the economy enters a period of volatility, the ability to deliver job-creation on this scale will be vital to sustaining our communities. So, too, will be the fillip it will provide in terms of the rates income generated.
“We’re ready to invest more than £180m in a local supply chain to develop the site which, when completed, will generate more than £216m a year in new economic output. Should the scheme be approved it will also generate more than £7m a year in new rates income for the council to invest in vital public services.
“Our focus now is ensuring that the Secretary of State has everything required to assess our case thoroughly during the Inquiry and we will then await the decision keenly.”
