Huge Six56 development given green light by planners

CONTROVERSIAL plans to build the huge Six56 logistics development on Green Belt land at Grappenhall, have been approved by members of Warrington Borough Council’s Development Management Committee despite nearly 1,000 letters of objection.

In a lengthy three-and-half hour meeting, Labour members of the committee voted 7-5 to approve the application, following the advice of officers who argued reasons for refusal, in their opinion, were unsustainable.

A bid by opposition Cllrs Bob Barr (Lib Dem) and Mark Jervis (Con) to have the application refused, had been previously rejected 7-5, despite a total of 948 letters opposing the application with just two letters of support. Planning chiefs said the benefits of the development outweighed the loss of green belt land, even though it contravened their own local plan development plan.

It could now be called in by the Secretary of State for a final decision – as was another application by Eddie Stobart, which had also been approved by members of the planning committee.

The application by Langtree PP & Panattoni is on Green Belt to the west of Junction 20 of the M6 Motorway, and Junction 9 of the M56 Motorway and to the south of, Grappenhall Lane/Cliff Lane (known as Six:56 Warrington) Grappenhall, Warrington, seeks Outline Planning (Major) ‐ Outline application (all matters reserved except for access) comprising the construction of up to 287,909m² (gross internal) of employment floorspace (Use Class B8 and ancillary B1(a) offices), demolition of existing agricultural outbuildings and associated servicing and infrastructure including car parking and vehicle and pedestrian circulation, alteration of existing access road into site including works to the M6 J20 dumbbell roundabouts and realignment of the existing A50 junction, noise mitigation, earthworks to create development platforms and bunds, landscaping including buffers, creation of drainage features, electrical substation, pumping station, and ecological works, accompanied by an Environmental Statement.

After the meeting local Cllr Ryan Bate (Lib Dem) who spoke out against the application said: “This decision completely makes a mockery of the Development Management Committee.
“We basically have a scenario where councillors are having to entirely come up with reasons to go against an officer recommendation, thus making it nigh on impossible for members to make such a recommendation. It’s entirely wrong as it suggests no role at all for elected members.
“It’s a disgrace!”

Warrington Borough Council planning officers had recommended approval subject to conditions and a S106 obligation to secure contributions to footway/cycleway works, public transport and a strategic travel plan, the cessation of use of Bradley Hall farmhouse, a local employment scheme, details of the ecological mitigation area, a Landscape and Ecological Management Plan (LEMP) and off‐site farmland habitat compensation, and subject to the Secretary of State not wishing to intervene.

While accepting the proposed development was, by definition, inappropriate development in the Green Belt and there would be other harm as a result of the proposed development including to the character of the area, ecology, landscape and views, cultural heritage, noise, waste, energy, agriculture, land and soils, some cumulative effects and residential amenity, planners say there would be a number of benefits to the scheme including meeting an identified need, and significant socio‐economic benefits including job creation, economic investment and training and skills.
The site is also considered to be deliverable and there is an absence of alternatives outside of the Green Belt in Warrington.

The harm to designated heritage assets was also considered to be less than substantial and the weight of the public benefits outweighs that harm. They said the benefits of the scheme clearly outweighed the harm to the Green Belt and the other harm caused by the proposal.

They, therefore, were considered to constitute very special circumstances that justify inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

Cllr Bate argued: “To understand the concerns of Parish Councils, RSW and many hundreds of residents, you must first understand the scale of the proposed development.

“The site measures 98ha (43 Hallewell Jones stadiums stands and all) the existing area of Stretton Airfield and Barleycastle Industrial estates combined 70ha.

“The site sits at the highest point in Warrington visible for miles. The warehouse buildings are massive, up to 30m high. New Town House is 22m high, the flats near Kingsway Bridge which are 27m high

“The smallest single unit on the site is required to be 8919 square metres. You can fit the footprint of the 14 Town Halls into this space.

“Forecasts suggest that at least 148 HGVs will enter and leave the site in an hour. It is proposed that there will be 2400 car parking spaces on the site. Golden Square has 1700.

“You are being asked to weigh the clear and obvious harm which results from this gigantic development on amenity, landscape and visual impact, the openness and character of the Green Belt, traffic conditions, ecology and biodiversity, air quality, climate change against the economic and employment benefits which say will come with the development also.”

Much of the debate can be seen in the live feed below – unfortunately, due to the length of the meeting, the battery ran out before the end!

Warrington’s Develpment Management Committee -Picture Matt Dempsey