WARRINGTON Borough Council is pressing ahead with work necessary to reinstate its Local Plan housing target which was removed following a High Court challenge by developers Satnam earlier this year in respect of controversial proposals at Peel Hall, Houghton Green.
First stage of the work is the preparation of a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) to catalogue the potential capacity of sites across the borough to accommodate new homes over the next 15 years.
The council has published its SHLAA in draft form for a six-week consultation period and it can be seen at
http://www.warrington.gov.uk/info/200564/planning_policy/1905/evidence_base
The SHLAA is a technical exercise that considers the suitability of all available and potential sites for housing. It looks at the likelihood of sites coming forward over time, their capacity for residential development and whether there are any 
obstacles to prevent housing development.
The previous SHLAA was undertaken in 2012 and the revised and updated assessment includes sites identified in 2012 and those which have received planning permission since and new sites put forward by developers.
The SHLAA is an information gathering exercise only. It forms part of the evidence base for the Local Plan. The inclusion of sites within the SHLAA does not imply that they will be allocated or receive planning consent for any form of development.
Council leader Terry O’Neill (pictured) said: “Having an up to date Local Plan is vital for Warrington to be able to plan positively for growth.
“It will enable the Council to ensure that new development is directed to the right locations and is designed to the highest standards. It will also enable the council to plan for the timely delivery of the social and physical infrastructure necessary to support an increasing population.
“The inclusion of all potential sites in the SHLAA is an excellent and useful exercise but it does not predetermine that planning permission will be granted on those sites. Any planning application will be considered and determined through the normal thorough and inclusive democratic process.”
Satnam’s successful challenge in the High Court followed the council’s refusal to grant permission for housing at Peel Hall Farm and the company’s subsequent unsuccessful appeal.
The judge ruled that the council had not included substantial affordable housing need in the borough’s housing figures.
Mr Justice Stewart said neither the council nor the appeal inspectorhad carried out a full and objective assessment of housing figures, alongside “substantial non-compliance” with strategic environment assessment requirements.
Thousands of local people opposed the Peel Hall development, along with councillors from the three main parties and Warrington North MP Helen Jones.
