No planning breaches found at Peel Hall development works

DESPITE various concerns from local residents and conservationists, no planning breaches have been discovered during the ongoing development works at Peel Hall, Warrington.

A Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “All issues reported to us have been investigated and there are no current planning breaches in respect of this site. We remain in close contact with Countryside as they progress on-site with the consented development.”

Preparations for the phase 2 planning application (2025/00534/REMM) at Peel Hall Village started earlier this month (June) with clearance work to remove mature trees from the site where over 500 dwellings of the 1200 approved by Michael Gove MP, former secretary of state, are scheduled to be built.

Geoff Settle, Chair Warrington Nature Conservation Forum and former Mayor of Warrington said: “Local residents are very angry and upset about the way the mature trees are being ripped out of the ground and the distress this activity is causing to wildlife, especially birds.
“On my recent walks around the Poplars and Hulme ward to see what is going on I have met up with a lot of familiar faces who have told me of their concerns. Gail from Poplars said, “Seeing the video of a young deer running across roads and jumping fences reduced me to tears.” It was filmed by a motorist in Greenwood Crescent and shows the young deer running between cars and not knowing where to go. This and other creatures are being flushed out of their home environment and into the traffic and gardens, even the local bird of prey is having a hard time. She also told me that a friend of hers now has seen foxes in her garden because of the clearance work.
“People who back onto the tree removals look out of their upstairs windows claim that no noticeable care or attention is being taken by contractors during the bird nesting season. Work should involve checking trees for nests and eggs. It is only time before hedgehogs will be coming off the Peel Hall fields and in full bloom are over 100 rare Northern Marsh orchids in the sodden patches off Radley Lane. At least Greater Crested Newts are protected in a pond approximately meters away.”
Tina and Sandra, two of the 10 members of the Rule 6 Party with Geoff, provided extensive written and spoken evidence to the inspector at the Peel Hall inquiry over several weeks, opposing the proposed development. They told Geoff about asbestos issues remaining from 12 old garages that were dismantled by WBC years ago. They say that their neighbours believe that debris has been left behind. They mention flooding on Birch Avenue, contractors using Elm Avenue, the loss of trees, ripped up and a colony of bats that fly over their rooftops to feed. He remembers campaigning with them when Satnam covered car parking spaces with oil drums and earth before being forced to remove the waste by WBC when they raised the issue with the enforcement officer.
Another resident, Simonne who lives near to Gail said: “Surely, they don’t have to rip every tree out!! They took all the trees from behind ours, which were full of birds, now just nothing. I was praying they’d leave the big ash tree, but no, they came back at a later date and just chopped it.”
Residents have also been upset with works starting at Peel Hall as early as 7:30 am.

Decimated trees off Birch Avenue

A further concern Geoff has is the noise and pollution from the M62 where families will live closest to the motorway. He has taken sound readings along the right-of-way footpath that is alongside the motorway. Using a phone sound app, he took readings in the high 80dB (equivalent to being inside a factory). Future Environments Countryside consultants recorded readings of >75dB. He regards both readings as very high levels, especially when families are in their garden or walking in the “nature” area next to the slow lane of the motorway. The inspector at the inquiry made it a condition of development that acoustic fences should adequately reduce sound levels. Windows that can’t be opened that face the motorway is not satisfactory. “It will be like living in a factory or a prison,” said Geoff.
In phase 1 Countryside boasted during the planning committee that they were giving the council millions of pounds in compensation and yet funds are not available for upgrading an old very narrow country lane with high traffic flows and narrow carriageways. WBC could make improvements to Delph Lane by directing section 106 money to build a pavement, repaint its slow signs etc. After all 1200 plus vehicles will potentially be using the lane where wing mirrors are to be found in the gutter and two sandstone walls demolished within the last 12 months.
On the issue of pollutants, Geoff received an email from Professor Jo Blair, based at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital stating that microscopic pollutants can cause great harm. The Professor wrote, “they go deep into young people’s lungs at a critical stage of their life”. As an asthmatic Geoff suffered with recurring bronchitis caused by the smog of the mid-1950s Liverpool and his parents were told to move by their GP. They did and the clean air of the Wirral dramatically improved his health.
Geoff concluded: “There are four main issues that need to be resolved, protection for nature, damaged to health & wellbeing, water flow and drainage and highways issues. This was raised by Dave of the Rule of 6 Party as an issue of great concern during the inquiry. United Utilities has yet to comment about the latter until they have evaluated the situation.
Countryside have been approached for comment.

A digger at work at Peel Hall