CAMPAIGNERS will be joined by local personalities and politicians when they stage their biggest rally yet in a bid to prevent a major development being built on the last natural green space in North Warrington.
Save Peel Hall Campaigners will be presenting their “It Will Be Too Late When It Has Gone” rally at Cinnamon Brow Farm Club, 2pm next Sunday, March 25.
Members of the campaign group will be presenting on key issues at the rally and they will be joined by Helen Jones MP and Warrington personalities Sky Sports presenter Angela Powers and archaeologist/author Mark Olly. The group has also hinted it has a surprise in store from a seven-year-old dedicated supporter who will also be taking to the stage to entertain the audience.
Campaigners, who have been fighting for the past 20 years to save the site, are hoping hundreds will turn out, sending a strong and clear message to landowner Satnam Millennium Ltd and to the council before a crucial Government Appeal hearing.
“We have a list of guest speakers lined up. It’s the biggest campaign event we have organised.” said one of the campaign organisers Wendy Johnson-Taylor. “It’s taken a bit of planning. We will be setting up an exhibition which will feature extensive drone footage, some of which showing Satnam actively destroying this unique and peaceful place.”
“Our main message on the day will be that this fight is definitely not over. Over the years we have fought Satnam and achieved a 100 per cent success rate. We have managed to thwart every attempt to destroy this Greenfield site. It was originally Green Belt but, Satnam ‘declassified’ it some time ago to make it more desirable for development. It has always been farmland.” She added.
“We will also be making a firm stand at the rally against the Planning Inspectorate’s decision to allow Satnam to submit numerous amendments to its original application which was incidentally, unanimously refused by our council last year. We believe these tweaks and changes are tantamount to a new planning application. This information should be excluded from the appeal hearing.” She Said
Campaigner former Mayor Geoff Settle explained: “This is going to be a hard match to win, the planning goalposts have been moved and we are now in ’Fergie Time’. We, as supporters must provide the referee (Planning Inspector) with undisputable evidence and once more undermine the Satnam defence with our arguments. He added: “The WBC officers’ team led by their QC, must be tactically aware of how this game is being played. They must have a strong defensive plan and agile attackers who can score decisive goals during this period of extra time.”
Campaigner Jim Sullivan added: “Satnam has had its plans rejected four times, but it keeps coming back. They only need to get lucky once and it will be game over.”
“Of course, people need houses, but we don’t just plonk them anywhere. We have planning committees who apply planning methodology to place those houses on sustainable and safe sites. Up to now, Peel Hall has escaped development because this part of Warrington simply can’t accommodate an increase in traffic or pollution.” Jim added: “Warrington has been named and shamed for its pollution levels, 95 people die prematurely in our town because of this. If 95 people were murdered every year we’d demand a public inquiry!”
Wendy added “We are adamant that our council officials and legal team roll their sleeves up and give everything they’ve got to stop this development. They will be defending the wishes of thousands of residents and we hope they realise just how crucial this fight will be for the future stability of North Warrington”.
“We have fought to save Peel Hall for 20 years and we are not going to give in. We want this appeal to be dismissed and we will not accept any other outcome. The decision to allow Satnam more freedom to submit additional information could have serious consequences for similar planning applications in Warrington and throughout the North West. If this gets the ‘green light’ then people in our shoes should get worried” She added.
The appeal hearing will start on Monday, April 23rd, 1pm at The Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub, and is listed for 14 days. The Secretary of State will make the final decision on the fate of Peel Hall.
A previous demonstration against Peel Hall housing
2 Comments
Big thanks to Wendy for inspiring me to come back, just as Margaret did before you, to fight yet another appeal and fight against this proposed development by Satan.
Thanks for covering this story, Gary. We really need people to attend the rally on 25th March at the Farm Club, and we need people to turn out for the appeal hearing in April.
Turnout at The Pyramid last year was awesome, I hope plenty of local people turn out and keep the pressure up. If we don’t . . . we’ll all regret it when the roads are twice as congested.