A long-running planning dispute over land at Tan House Farm in Burtonwood, for use as a gypsy and traveller residential site, is heading for a hearing before a Government-appointed planning inspector – with three linked appeals now being considered.
The latest stage will see the Planning Inspectorate consider three appeals lodged by John Varey following decisions and enforcement action by Warrington Borough Council concerning the site, with today, Wednesday, September 30th the last day for representations.
Local Cllr. Stuart Mann said: “As I have said throughout, this has never been about who, but about ensuring that the planning process is followed fairly and consistently.
“The applicant has every right to appeal the council’s decisions and those appeals must now be allowed to go through the independent Planning Inspectorate process.
Residents equally have the right to make their views known, and with the deadline for representations being today, I would encourage anyone who wishes to comment to ensure their representation is submitted before the deadline.
“I have also asked Warrington Borough Council to ensure that the decisions previously taken by its Planning and Enforcement teams are fully represented through the appeal process
The appeals were formally started on August 19 and involve both an enforcement notice and two planning appeals relating to the site.
The lead case is an enforcement notice appeal, reference APP/M0655/C/26/3378961, with two linked planning appeals – APP/M0655/W/26/3379007 and APP/M0655/W/26/3379015.
The Planning Inspectorate has confirmed that the appeals will be dealt with by a hearing, with the lead case currently scheduled for November 17, 2026. No decision has yet been made.
Deadline for representations
Today – Wednesday, September 30 – is an important deadline in the appeal process.
Statements are due from the parties and the deadline for interested-party comments is also September 30.
The appellant and Warrington Borough Council then have until October 21 to submit final comments before the November hearing.
The Planning Inspectorate lists John Varey as the appellant and Tom Beer as his agent, with Warrington Borough Council named as the local planning authority.
Second refusal
The latest appeals follow Warrington Council’s refusal of a second part-retrospective planning application for the site earlier this year.
The application, reference 2026/00040/FUL, sought permission for a Gypsy and Traveller residential site comprising four pitches, together with landscaping, widening of the existing private access road and relocation of the internal site access.
The application was refused by the council and Warrington Worldwide reported the decision in March.
The March refusal followed an earlier application which had also been rejected.
Warrington Worldwide previously reported that council planners had raised concerns, including highway safety, the sustainability of the location, drainage and ecological information. Officers concluded that the proposal would not provide safe and suitable access for all users and would have an unacceptable impact on highway safety.
The applicant subsequently had the right to appeal.
Long-running dispute
The dispute dates back to 2025, when works were carried out at the site before the retrospective planning applications were submitted.
Warrington Worldwide reported in January that the first retrospective application had been refused, following local concerns about the works and the proposed change of use.
A revised four-pitch scheme was subsequently submitted, with the applicant arguing that changes to the access arrangements addressed issues raised by the council.
That second application was also refused in March.
The latest development means the dispute has now moved beyond the council’s planning process and into the formal appeal system.
The Planning Inspectorate has not yet published documents for the lead enforcement appeal on its public case page, meaning the precise grounds of the enforcement appeal and the detailed arguments being put forward by the appellant and council are not currently available through the online case record.
The two linked planning appeal records likewise show that the cases remain in progress, with no decision yet made.
The November hearing is expected to provide an opportunity for the evidence and arguments relating to the appeals to be examined by the Planning Inspector.
