Inland port plan gets go-ahead

INNOVATIVE plans for a £20 million inland port on the Manchester Ship Canal near Warrington have been given the go-ahead – despite fears of an invasion of heavy goods vehicles during the construction period.
The borough council’s development control committee approved the proposals on land alongside the canal near Moore Nature Reserve and Acton Grange Viaduct.
But they have imposed conditions – including one that a rail link connecting the site to the West Coast Main Line be constructed before the port comes into use.
Port Warrington will be built by the Manchester Ship Canal Company as part of the ambitious, £50 million Ocean Gateway project, which will link Manchester and Liverpool along the canal corridor.
Councillors have also asked the canal company to consider using barges to transport hardcore to the site – necessary to raise the level of the land.
This will be investigated to see if local traffic levels can be reduced without increasing them elsewhere.
Objections were lodged by Walton, Moore and Penketh parish councils on the grounds of increased heavy lorry traffic during the construction period and afterwards.
Officers conceded the scheme was inappropriate in the Green Belt but argued that the encouragement it would offer to move freight from road to rail or water represented the special circumstances necessary to outweigh Green Belt considerations.
Halton Borough Council also expressed concern about traffic issues and the sustainability of the site because of access problems for employees.