A MAJOR debate on the future of Warrington’s multi million £ Omega development site has been put off until at least September.
The issue was due to come before the borough council’s economy and resources committee after being “called in” by Labour leader Coun Terry O’Neill.
But the committee – which had just spent nearly two hours debating the controversial proposals for Walton Hall – decided there was insufficient time and adjourned the matter.
Coun O’Neill called in the council’s decision to approve the Cheshire and Warrington sub-Region homes and communities local investment plan which proposes a mixture of uses on the Omega site, including business and low carbon homes.
Originally, Omega was to be a major international business centre.
Coun O’Neill said he believed the council’s decision was outside the budget and/or policy planning framework, there had been a lack of consultation and that the decision had not been taken with a sufficient degree of openness.
He said: “Omega is a regional employment site in our Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and was carried forward as such in our Local Development Framework (LDF).
It also has this status in the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and also in the North West Development Agency’s Strategic Regional Sites.
“The executive board cannot make this decision to include Omega for a funding bid for housing through the local investment plan, thus de-allocating it from a regional employment site.
“This cannot be done without having a fundamental review against RSS policy, through core strategy within our LDF. This must be done first, not the other way round.
“There has been no consultation with ward members, parish councils, residents’ groups, etc with regard to putting hundreds of houses on Omega and changing its status.”
Coun Bob Barr, executive member for planning, regeneration and housing said the proposals did not constitute a change in the statutory development plan policy for Omega.
The national Coalition Government had abolished the regional level of the planning system and it was now the remit of the Warrington UDP and emerging core strategy of the LDF alone to determine the future of Omega.
The core strategy was subject to continuous consultation and would be subject to more next year.
Picture: the original Omega plan as seen by an artist.
