THE public inquiry into the controversial Six56 logistics development on Green Belt land at Grappenhall is set to re-open next month.
The inquiry relates to an appeal by Langtree PP & Panattoni to the Secretary of State against the refusal of planning permission. It will reopen at 9.30 am on Tuesday 10 October and will sit for four further days until Friday 13 October.
it will take place at St James Business Centre, Wilderspool Causeway, Warrington, WA4 6PS. Limited disabled parking is available to the front of the building and a stairlift is available if required. Public parking is available nearby.
A further sitting of the inquiry will be held in 2024, these dates are still to be confirmed.
The inquiry relates to land 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.
Langtree PP & Panattoni are seeking Outline Planning (Major) – Outline application (all matters reserved except for access) comprising construction of up to 287,909m² (gross internal) of employment floorspace (Use Class B8 & ancillary B1(a) offices), demolition of existing agricultural outbuildings & associated servicing & infrastructure including car parking & vehicle & pedestrian circulation, alteration of the existing access road into site including works to M6 J20 dumbbell roundabouts & realignment of existing A50 junction, noise mitigation, earthworks to create development platforms & bunds, landscaping including buffers, creation of drainage features, electrical substation, pumping station, & ecological works, accompanied by an environmental statement.
Commenting on the Six56 inquiry Warrington South MP Andy Carter said: “This site now sits outside the land planned for future development in the local plan. Inspectors have re-examined the data and confirmed that the site isn’t needed for future employment. The developers need to show very special circumstances for the site to be given the go-ahead and I don’t believe those circumstances exist.”
Meanwhile, the Public Inquiries for Warrington’s Local Plan and the Planning Application for the Six56 site running in parallel, with changing dates, will all add to confusion for the public, according to local Lib Dems.
Lib-Dem Cllr. Ian Marks said, “The Council was hoping to take the Local Plan for approval to the October Cabinet and then on to the full Council at the end of the month. I asked about the timing at the Council meeting last Monday and from the response I received, it seems likely that approval will now be delayed until the Council meeting at the beginning of December. We believe that the Council will follow the recommendation from the two Inspectors and delete the South Warrington Employment Area and leave the land in the Green Belt so that the Plan is judged to be ‘sound’.
“The Public Inquiry for the planning application for the massive Six/56 logistics site next to Junction 20 on the motorway started in early summer but had to be adjourned half way through due to a procedural mistake involving the Manchester Mosses. The first available date for the adjournment was mid October. It is now realised that this would create a difficulty because the Local Plan will not have been approved by then. If the Six/56 Inspector allowed the application to go ahead, this would be in direct conflict with the Local Plan Inspectors and make a mockery of the planning system.
“This new letter clarifies what is happening. The October adjournment will still be held but it will only consider issues such as highways, ecology and heritage but not planning. All matters to do with planning will be deferred to a second adjournment probably in February. By that time the Local Plan should have been approved. The Council support the Six/56 planning application but I did not get a clear answer to my question at Council about what stance the Council would be taking at this second adjournment. Will it sit on the fence as it did before?
“Councillors, residents and the planning consultant and barrister employed by the South Warrington Parish Council’s Planning Group will continue to fight the Six/56 proposal. When the Local Plan is approved, it would be great news if Langtree withdrew the application and admitted defeat. We doubt this will happen because there is an awful lot at stake for the company.”
The Six56 Public Inquiry, will proceed under the direction of the Inspector, Dr R Catchpole, appointed by the Secretary of State to decide the appeal.
A copy of the Council’s and the Appellant’s statements, proofs of evidence and summaries are available for inspection at https://online.warrington.gov.uk/planning/index.html?fa=search and using the reference number 2019/34799 AND at https://www.warrington.gov.uk/six56-public-inquiry
The Case Officer contact at the Planning Inspectorate is Alison Dyson Tel: 0303 444 5304 Email: [email protected]
When made, the decision will be published online at https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk
