MP's worry over downgraded Omega

OMEGA – still regarded as Warrington’s flagship development site – seems to have been downgraded in the borough council’s draft local plan core strategy, according to MP Helen Jones.
The Warrington North MP says she is concerned about some of the content of the strategy because it is unclear what has been changed as a result of a public consultation in December and January.
She said: “In particular Omega, which is a strategic regional employment location, seems to have been downgraded.
“The document talks of leisure facilities, hotels, a conference centre and housing, but provides no clear strategy for attracting high-tech employment to the site as was originally intended.
“Instead the document highlights major warehousing and distribution centres in its plans for the site.
“The promotion of this site over the years has simply not been good enough and continues to disappoint.”
Ms Jones said it also seemed the council had not taken into account the significant concerns raised by local residents about the future of Peel Hall.
“They continue to call it a ‘strategic location’ which could accommodate housing growth in the long term.
“This, despite there being enough housing land already earmarked for development.
“Whilst the document says there is ‘no reliance on supply’ from the site at present, it does caution against releasing the site ‘too early’ which seems to indicate that development will take place in the future, as well as on three other ‘strategic sites’ in the south of the town.
“My constituents have still not received a satisfactory response to the revelations, under the Freedom of Information Act, that more than half a dozen meetings have taken place between council officers and the owners of Peel Hall despite all political parties at the Town Hall stating their opposition to any development there.”
Picture: Omega as it was once envisaged by an artist.