A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build a flood relief installation on playing fields will come before planning chiefs at Warrington tonight – for the second time.
Members of the borough council’s development control committee have visited the site, off Friends Lane and Stocks Lane, Great Sankey, since the scheme was last on the agenda.
They will have to decide whether to approve the scheme, put forward by United Utilities, or back more than 250 residents who don’t want it to go ahead.
The project involves a control kiosk, six metre high pressure relief column and gated access with a “grasscrete” access road to serve an underground detention tank.
The underground tank does not form part of the planning application as it can be built under permitted development rights.
Object of the scheme is to divert flood water into the underground tank during periods of heavy rain to prevent sewers backing up and flooding homes, gardens and drives, particularly in Pyecroft Road.
A total of 256 people have signed a petition opposing the scheme.
They claim there may be smells, damage to hedges, traffic and road safety issues, vandalism of the control kiosk and a possible affect on local house prices.
Four individual letters of objection on similar grounds have also been sent to the borough council.
Officers are recommending the scheme be approved but another issue councillors will have to consider is that an application has been made for the site be designated a village green.
The officers say although there will be some impact on the area during the construction period, the underground nature of the development will mean it has no significant harmful visual impact on nearby homes, the playing field or the wider street scene.
Alternative sites have been examined and are unsuitable.
