PLANNING chiefs at Warrington have given the green light to a proposal to bring forward part of a major project to expand the popular Gulliver’s World theme park.
The scheme was originally approved, subject to a number of conditions, in September last year despite opposition from more than 600 nearby residents.
Now the borough council’s development management committee has agreed to allow a small part of the scheme to proceed as a first phase in advance of the conditions being met.
The committee was told the principle of the development had been accepted by the granting of the original application. The new Phase 1 would create a gated compound, facilities building and change of use of an existing building to be used as a storage/workshop compound.
No new development was proposed beyond that already approved in the original application.
The committee was told the need to bring forward part of the scheme was for the effective operation of the theme park in the light of the Covid 19 pandemic and to provide staff with a suitable works space to minimise risk to staff and the public.
In addition, the facilities building would include a store for stockpiling critical supplies associated with the wider theme park such as hotel consumables and laundry stocks which were in high demand because of supply chain delays, the impacts of Brexit and more UK holiday breaks taking place.
Fifteen nearby residents opposed the new proposals arguing that the pandemic should not mean that businesses were given permission to “cut corners” to save time and money. They also claimed the development would destroy wildlife habitats and increase pollution and traffic levels.
But officers said the original application would allow Gulliver’s World to diversify its offering, securing its future viability and boosting the economy through jobs and an enhanced leisure/tourist attraction.
The small first phase of development could take place without the need to submit significant levels of detail.
