LOCAL residents who haven’t yet objected to the controversial Six56 planning application for a huge logistics hub on green belt land at Grappenhall, should do so now, says local Cllr Ryan Bate.
While the Six56 application has re-appeared after nearly two years of lying dormant, the applicant, Langtree, has spent the time revising their ecological and highways mitigations, in particular their proposed improvements to the motorway junction.
Grappenhall & Appleton Thorn’s Cllr Ryan Bate said: “After these minor amendments, the application is substantially the same and so the objections raised to the original application still stand.
“First and foremost, the application proposes a significant loss of Green Belt. This includes some Green Belt which was assessed as making a ‘strong contribution’ in the last review commissioned by WBC. A site of this size would be particularly detrimental to the openness of Green Belt, which is one of the core purposes of Green Belt set out in national planning policy.
“Concerns also remain around the impact on highways, including the motorways, motorway junctions and local roads. Although the application involves some investment in road improvements, the capacity of the roads and motorways can’t be increased. Locals will know that the M6 comes to a standstill in the morning and evening. Adding additional traffic from this huge logistics site will not help at all.
In terms of what concerned residents can do, Cllr Bate added: “All of the objections raised back in 2019 still stand, so people should not feel obliged to object again, especially given that the key concerns are still present. The South Warrington Parishes are reviewing the amended plans and will be supplementing their original objection on behalf of all the residents we represent. If residents who have responded before DO wish to add to their earlier objections, then they can of course do so.
“It is even more important that those residents who didn’t object back in 2019 take the opportunity to respond now, to register the strength of feeling against this threat to our Green Belt.
“Although affected residents and those who objected in 2019 have received a letter from WBC stating that they only have 30 days to respond, the planning department has confirmed that this is a standard letter and the short deadline will not be strictly adhered to for this large and complex application.
“Local councillors are waiting to hear when WBC expect to take this application to committee. When they have this date, they will update residents on when their objections need to be submitted by.”
Cllr. Bate was part of the campaign group opposed to a smaller application by Eddie Stobart Logistics to build a new national distribution hub on nearby Green Belt land at Appleton Thorn, which was eventually blocked by the Secretary of State Robert Jenrick after controversially being approved by the council’s planning committee.
A summary of the amendments/updates is as follows:
• Changes to the illustrative masterplan and parameters plan document including realignment
of estate roads, landscape bunds and other changes including details of highways access into
the site and the location of the first roundabout into the site from the east
• An addendum to the Environmental Statement
• The submission of other documents including a biodiversity net gain assessment and a whole
life-cycle carbon assessment.
To comment on the application CLICK HERE
Huge Six56 logistics hub back in the frame for Green Belt land
