WITH more than 700 submissions received and complaints of the council’s online planning portal crashing, Warrington Council has agreed to extend the deadline for making representations on the controversial plan by Eddie Stobart to build a National Distribution Centre on Green Belt land.
Following numerous complaints from local residents and councillors regarding the online planning portal “crashing,” the council has agreed to extend the deadline by one week until next Friday, May 31.
More than 700 submissions have been made regarding the stobart application, which has been surrounded with further controversy following a decision by Stobart to send an email circular to all their employees, encouraging them to support the application.
Meanwhile Warrington South MP Faisal Rashid has also added his voice of opposition to the Stobart planning application which relates to land North of Barleycastle Lane, Appleton Thorn.
He said: “I do not believe the strategic need to allocate employment land is exceptional circumstances which merits the removal of this land from the Green Belt.
“I also have concerns about the additional HGV vehicular movements that would be generated at the site, which means more traffic congestion on local roads. In my view current infrastructure cannot cope with increased traffic.
“Warrington’s roads are already congested and struggle to meet the existing demand.”
He went on to add: “I question rationale behind proposals for significant development in this area – an area which simply does not have the infrastructure in place to cope.
He has also raised concerns about pollution.
Submissions to the application can be made here
https://www.warrington.gov.uk/site/xfp/scripts/xforms_form.php?formID=227&language=en&pageNumber=1&planning_application_id=2019/34739
A spokesperson for Warrington Borough Council said: “We are aware of issues with the portal and taking steps to resolve them. We have extended the deadline for submitting representations
by one week, until Friday 31 May.”
Green Belt land at Appleton Thorn
MP Faisal Rashid
Leaked Eddie Stobart email described as “cynical ploy” to win approval for Green Belt plan
