Peel Hall “Zombie” scheme should be “buried for good” says planning consultant

THE ongoing inquiry into the future of Peel Hall has been told by a top planning consultant that plans to build on the last, natural green space in North Warrington should be ‘buried for good and put to rest’ and the application, was one of the ‘poorest’ he had come across.

Speaking on behalf of the Save Peel Hall Campaign Group’s Rule 6 Party, Mr Peter Black told the Inspec-tor Christina Downes: “In planning terms this is the Zombie Scheme that will not die. Struck down many times on valid planning grounds over 30 years, it always comes back to life. An acceptable scheme has never been proposed, and my conclusion is that the site should be considered not only undeliverable in the short term – which it is clearly is, but undevelopable for speculative low-density car-dependent, development”

Mr Black who is acting as Rule 6’s advocate, funded through Winwick and Poulton with Fearnhead Parish Councils, explained that the site could be developed for more sustainable housing or other uses. “The Covid-19 Pandemic and the urgent reality of climate change means an alternative to urban sprawl is essential. But this Inquiry can only determine the proposal in front of it and the planning balance suggests refusal” he said.
The application submitted by Satnam Millennium Ltd, was registered in 2016 and Mr Black remarked it was almost a ‘happy fifth birthday’ but added it would not be an event that residents would be celebrating. He told the inquiry that it was re-fused in 2017, dismissed in 2018 and quashed in 2019 on grounds largely unrelated to planning.
“The Core Strategy considers Peel Hall part of the urban area: it could be developed, but it is NOT allocated for housing. The replacement local plan has not been subject to a public examination, carries little weight and is paused anyway: events have moved so quickly nationally and locally that it needs re-writing. The recognition of climate change and biodiversity crises, the collapse of retail in the town centre, the rapid rise of site availability in sustainable locations. And Covid-19. Nothing will be the same again. And there is a rare political consensus to Build Back Greener and more sustainable. Business as Usual, typified by the proposed low-density dinosaur estate, should no longer be an option”. He added.
He went on to say the appellant considers the 1,200 houses would be a significant benefit, but Mr Black pointed out, if they were either “the wrong houses or in the wrong place” they would become an “Albatross around the neck of sustainability for the next 100 years”, adding: “This Inquiry is a historic turning point for Warrington”.
He told the Inspector that more suitable sites for were being released for housing citing the current hospital site, Unilever and Fiddlers Ferry.
On noise pollution he pointed a finger at WBC for not maintaining its challenge as the site was considered to be ‘on the limits’ of what was acceptable. “But residents will have windows that will not open, and recreation and wildlife space is in the noisiest area of the site?” he said. He also questioned the design of the proposed noise barrier and that the location of green space in close proximity would create a ‘muggers’ alley’. On air quality, he said:” The development will increase air pollution in a densely populated area that is already suffering significant air quality-related health problems and inequalities. Simply, more people will die early because of this development. It contradicts all five of Warrington’s AQAP priorities which specifically requires new development to be designed to reduce exposure and improve air quality. It is hard to see how 1,200 car-dependent houses near the M62 achieves this”.
He continued with climate change by stating: “National and local Government have declared an emergency. This development studiously ignores the subject. Crisis, what crisis? This car-dependent urban sprawl will increase emissions from transport and simply aims to meet minimum energy standards for houses”. He also touched on ecology saying that the appellant has “underestimated” the current biodiversity value by ‘under-recording, rejecting records and misunderstanding the value of common wildlife’ and had ‘underestimated’ the potential future value of the site.
Mr Black continued to speak strongly on the issue of flooding: “Flood risk meant Peel Hall was considered undevelopable by the New Town 50 years ago and it was sold on as farmland. Fast forward and we have had over 20 major storm events in the last four years, February 2020 was the wettest on record and Storm Christoph this January left the site and surrounding estates underwater. What more evidence do we need and when will we learn?
He also explained that existing residents would miss out if plans to develop on nearby playing fields were replaced by a main access route and housing. This amenity would be moved to purpose-built sports pitches some 1k away. “There is a permanent loss of the only sports facility of this type in the area and there is a significant loss of open space, particularly for informal leisure/sports”.
In his conclusion, Mr Black said: “This really is the Zombie scheme from hell. Residents feel trapped in the film set of ‘Shaun of the Dead’, in the pub and assailed on all sides by a rogue developer and a council that still has not had a grown-up debate with the community about how to deal with Peel Hall. It is high time that this process started. The proposal inescapably conflicts with the Development Plan/NPPF on many issues. I consider that the harm to the impact on the local and strategic transport network alone would justify refusal, but that the range of other issues where there are disbenefits significantly and demonstrably outweigh any benefits of granting permission”.
The inquiry is set to adjourn later today, Friday, March 19th and will reopen next week on Thursday March 25th, officially coming to an end the following day with closing speeches from all parties. The final decision will be made by the Secretary of State.