Future of Six56 green belt development back in the melting pot

THE future of the Green Belt land for the giant Six56 distribution site next to Exit 20 of the M6 at Grappenhall is back in the melting pot after Government Inspectors announced they wanted to hold a further hearing in Warrington.

Following the Local Plan examination in public that took place between September 2022 and October 2022, the Inspectors have confirmed they wish to hold an additional session that will specifically deal with the Plan’s overall employment land requirement under ‘Matter 5 – Economic growth and development’.

The further examination hearing session will be held on Thursday 13 July 2023, starting at 9.30am at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, Mike Gregory Way, WA2 7NE.

While the public are free to attend, only those who participated in the original Matter 5 hearing will be invited to participate in the additional hearing session.
Further details relating to the additional hearing will be added to the Local Plan Examination webpage ahead of the session.
It follows on from the council announcing it was extending consultation on the Local Plan for a further six weeks because not everyone had been notified aboyt a proposed modification.

In response to the announcement Councillor Ian Marks, one of many objecting to the Six56 development said, “Two weeks ago we were all astounded when the Six/56 Public Inquiry on the planning application for this land was suddenly adjourned until October due to a letter from Natural England questioning the legitimacy of the process that had been carried out. We now know that the Consultation on the wider Local Plan has started up again to consider the future of this land and the adjoining Stobart site. The two Local Plan Inspectors were adamant that this land should not be removed from the Green Belt but the potential developer, Langtree, strongly believed it should be.
“Because of this ‘stand-off’ it appears that the Inspectors feel the need to look at this issue again. Local Councillors and residents are determined to fight to uphold the Inspectors’ initial view and retain this Green Belt land because of the harm caused by losing it. We will be asking our planning and legal advisors to submit more evidence to support our case.
“Warrington Council says that a reason for opening the Consultation up for another six weeks is because not everyone received notification about the ‘Proposed Main Modifications’ after the first Consultation that ended in April. I have asked who was not made aware of this.
“Although we are unhappy that housing numbers have not been reduced, a lack of clarity about physical and social infrastructure and other matters, we do need an approved Local Plan to rein in a developers’ free-for-all. I passionately hope the Local Plan Inspectors will stick to their guns and retain the Green Belt and that Langtree will then abandon its development proposal.”