INDEPENDENT Councillor Neil Johnson says that proposed developments in the villages of Culcheth and Croft should not be considered in isolation and believes Warrington Borough Council must put a system in place to allow each of these proposals to be considered “in the round”.
Cllr. Johnson is referring to the recent planning application by Peel for 200 homes on land at Turrett Hall Farm in Croft, a further planned 450 homes on land to the west of Culcheth, and a forthcoming application by Warrington Borough Council themselves for a gypsy/traveller transit site on Winwick Lane.
Cllr. Johnson said: “The process for planning applications is that each one is considered individually on its own merits. This is highly convenient for those who wish to push through plans without any consideration of the wider context.
“In the case of Culcheth and Croft, however, we have three significant proposals forthcoming which, if successful, will change the face of our community forever. It is entirely wrong to consider any of these three applications in isolation.
“Any one of these applications will place a tremendous burden on our road network, our utilities, our shops and services. We need to adopt a sensible approach and ensure that some joined up thinking is applied. The Council cannot hold three separate planning committee meetings for three separate proposals in a such a small area, and at each one pretend that the other two proposals don’t exist!
“Councillors have a responsibility to ensure the best outcome for the community. These plans cannot be considered in isolation. If all three are approved, it will be devastating for the future of Culcheth and Croft. Our villages will be unrecognisable. The Council needs to put a process in place to ensure that these developments are considered collectively, rather than individually. It is simply unfair that my ward of Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft is shouldering more than its fair share of the burden in respect of housing targets. Our green spaces are at risk of being concreted over. The Council’s reckless plans for a gypsy/traveller site are only adding to the strain. We are reaching the stage where our road networks will be unable to cope.”
The proposed traveller site at Croft
