THE Conservative opposition group on Warrington Borough Council today welcomed news which they believe makes it “extremely unlikely” that the controversial Six56 distribution site near Exit 20 on the 56 at Grappenhall will go ahead.
The Planning Inspectorate has confirmed that the MD6 employment area proposal – which includes the Six 56 scheme – should be deleted from Warrington’s draft Local Plan.
Borough and Appleton parish Conservative councillor Mark Jervis said: “I am delighted with the Local Plan Inspectors’ decision to delete the South East Warrington Employment Area and thereby protect the Green Belt and rural character in this part of south Warrington.
“Labour’s Local Plan proposals for this Employment Area were strongly opposed by most residents in the area.
“After this significant and long review of the emerging Local Plan, I hope and urge the Planning Inspectorate to take note of its own inspectors and reject the Six56 application when the public inquiry resumes as scheduled in October.
“The Local Plan inspectors have clearly indicated that this area of Green Belt should be protected. Against this background, I cannot see any circumstances which would justify approval of the Six56 application.”
Following an additional public hearing last month, inspectors Andrea Mageean and Kevin Ward have written to Warrington Borough Council to reaffirm their view that the employment land requirement in the draft Local Plan is not justified. They say it should be significantly reduced, broadly in line with their originally proposed Main Modifications.
The inspectors said: “We also maintain our view that the proposed South East Warrington Employment Area and Policy MD6 should be deleted.”
Six Parish Councils in the south of Warrington have worked together to challenge many aspects of the draft Local Plan including the MD6 Employment Area proposals. The South Warrington Parishes Group was formally represented at the Examination in Public and at the July Additional Hearing.
4 Comments
Great work Cllr Jervis. This proposed development is an abomination it shows what can be achieved in resisting the Labour Councils appalling plans for south Warrington.
Just be careful these labour clowns at the Town Hall don’t decide to put the Transit camp at this location because they lost their case
We need to keep politics out of decisions about greenbelt & the environment. Protecting our green spaces is in everyone’s interest. The environment is more important than political point scoring & behaving like spoiled children when they don’t get their own way.
Well said Lynn, It should not be about party politics. A bad policy is a bad policy.