WARRINGTON Borough Council’s leader Russ Bowden says work is ongoing to review the town’s proposed Local Plan, in response to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Government proposed planning reforms and new housing calculation methodology.
The decision to pause Warrington’s Local Plan was taken in October 2020, while in the summer of 2019, the council undertook a comprehensive consultation that received around 3,500 written representations.
Officers have since carefully reviewed all of the responses, many of which focused on the town centre and how it can be maximised to accommodate residential development, how brownfield sites should continue to be prioritised ahead of green belt, and that the long term future of Fiddler’s Ferry power station should be considered for development, given that it has ceased operations.
Cllr Bowden, said: “We continue to assess the proposals in our draft Local Plan and are determined that we get the right plan for Warrington, which balances the need for future development with protecting precious green belt wherever possible.
A lot has changed since we initially consulted in 2019, including the COVID pandemic, government reforms and local decisions such as our declarations of climate and ecological emergencies – all of which will help to chart the way forward for our Plan.
“I am confident that Warrington’s Local Plan, as it continues to be worked through, will be able to reflect many of the issues and matters raised from the previous consultation we undertook.
“For example, I would expect Fiddler’s Ferry to be included in any future Local Plan given the size of the land it occupies and its possible future uses. We are also progressing with our consultation on the future of the town centre through what is known as a Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
“This will help to ensure that we can assess the developable space in the town centre to maximise residential development opportunities. It’s crucial that from our town centre, outward, we have high-quality and sustainable residential developments that are complemented by the right community facilities and which are built around protecting our green spaces.
“Our work on the Local Plan continues but I want to reassure residents that we have heard your feedback and issues raised through the consultation, and I am confident that revised proposals for our Local Plan will be the right fit for our town.”
