Four-year time limit on tip access route

PLANNING bosses at Warrington have agreed to extend a time limit on controversial highway works to provide rail access to a giant tipping site – but with a warning.
If the scheme is not implemented in four years’ time, no further extension will be granted.
Warrington’s development control committee has approved an application by the Waste Recycling Group to change the timescales on planning consent for highway construction to provide rail access to the Arpley Landfill site.
The application was opposed by 20 residents of Eastford Road, Lower Walton who claim it will cause noise, dust and airborne pollution near their homes without providing any benefit.
Under the scheme, wagons carrying rail-borne waste would travel from rail sidings onto an 80-metre stretch of Eastford Road before turning onto an access to the landfill site.
Planning permission was granted for the rail head 10 years ago but has never been implemented.
The company maintains it still intends to build the rail access but says in the current commercial situation this will not occur before the planning consent expires in December.
They wanted the timescale extended so the permission was kept alive permanently.
Planning officers admitted there would be no direct benefits to Eastford Road residents but said there would be no significant detrimental effect either, while residents of Liverpool Road would receive a significant benefit from reduced traffic generation in the event of the rail head being built.
After hearing there were no guarantees of when the work would be carried out, the committee decided to impose a strict, four-year time limit.