INDEPENDENT councillor Stuart Mann has expressed disappointment after Warrington Borough Council declined to take a formal position on controversial plans for a huge intermodal logistics park near Winwick and Croft.
Cllr Mann, who represents Burtonwood and Winwick, raised the issue with the council’s leadership at Full Council on Monday evening (October 26), asking whether Warrington would follow Wigan Council in formally opposing the proposed Tritax Intermodal Logistics Park North (ILPN).
But he was told there was currently insufficient evidence for Warrington Council to take a position either way.
Cllr Mann said he was disappointed by the response, arguing that there was already substantial evidence to justify a clear position of serious concern about the potential impact on communities across north Warrington.
He said: “Having spent considerable time examining the proposals, I believe there is already substantial evidence to justify a clear position of serious concern.”
The development, proposed on predominantly agricultural land east of the M6 near Junction 22, within St Helens borough, could include approximately 767,000 square metres of warehousing, alongside a major rail freight terminal and associated infrastructure.
Although the main development site lies outside Warrington, Cllr Mann has repeatedly warned that its effects could extend across borough boundaries, particularly in Winwick, Croft and surrounding communities.
Among the concerns he highlighted following Monday’s meeting were significant heavy goods vehicle movements affecting the A49 and Winwick Link Road, land within Croft Parish identified for soil redistribution and earthworks, and the cumulative impact of traffic from the separate Parkside developments and thousands of proposed new homes.
Cllr Mann also pointed to Tritax’s own assessment, which estimates more than 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions during construction.
He said Warrington’s declaration of a climate emergency in 2019 made the environmental consequences particularly relevant.
“Of course, further evidence is needed before reaching a final decision, but there is a difference between awaiting detailed assessments and declining to take any position at all,” he said.
“Residents in Winwick, Croft and surrounding communities deserve clarity about where their Council stands.
“The development may be centred outside Warrington, but its impacts certainly won’t stop at the borough boundary.
“I will continue pressing for answers.”
Wigan Council has already taken a position
The disagreement follows Wigan Council’s decision in September to unanimously oppose the proposals insofar as they affect land within its borough and communities around Lowton.
Cllr Mann had previously called on Warrington to follow that example, arguing that the scale of the development and its potential consequences for local roads and the surrounding countryside warranted a clear response.
He first raised the issue with Warrington Worldwide in a report published on October 19, ahead of Monday’s Full Council meeting.
In that report, he warned that the combined development and associated land could cover approximately 350 hectares – equivalent to 864 acres – and that the proposals must not be confused with the separate Parkside developments on the former colliery site.
The Tritax scheme is being promoted as a nationally significant infrastructure project and is expected to be determined through the Government’s Development Consent Order process, rather than a conventional local planning application.
Cllr Mann has also been working with fellow councillors, parish councils, community groups and residents across Warrington, Wigan and St Helens to share information and examine the potential impacts.
The campaign has focused on traffic, environmental effects, agricultural land, infrastructure and the cumulative consequences of major developments across the wider area.
While Warrington Borough Council’s response indicates that it is not yet prepared to take a formal position, Cllr Mann intends to continue seeking clarification on how the authority will protect the interests of residents who could be affected.
The proposals remain subject to the national planning process, with further scrutiny of their potential impacts expected as the application progresses.
