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Warrington Local Plan: CPRE’s response

5th April 2019

CPRE Cheshire responded to the Warrington Borough Council consultation on the Proposed Submission Version Local Plan.

We broadly welcome the vision and key objectives, but we made detailed comments on housing numbers and employment land supply, both being viewed as too high due to reliance on out-of-date and high-growth projections.

I.        CPRE Cheshire agrees that future development must be sustainable.

II.       We believe Warrington’s ‘current’ Green Belt boundaries should be protected over the long-term.  We therefore are opposed to the proposed Green Belt release across the area.

III.      We are pleased to see a focus of development at Warrington Town Centre.  It is right that development is focused at existing settlements in accordance with a hierarchy.

IV.      The Council must respond to the threat posed from climate change.  For too long there have been words, but no action, on this vital issue, which is reaching a critical point in time.

V.       CPRE agrees that Warrington’s distinctiveness should be protected and this includes rural character.

VI.      We agree that minimising the impact of development on the environment is vitally important.

We understand that countryside and green space is most at risk without an up-to-date Local Plan.  Warrington could be subject to more harmful speculative employment and housing development proposals, resulting in unsustainable, unplanned, piecemeal development across the Borough. We highlight concerns over Green Belt intrusions along the motorway network and oppose needless countryside loss.

We look forward to the adoption of a sound plan as soon as possible to avoid unsustainable development of Warrington’s lovely countryside.

Lymm section of the Trans-Pennine Trail Becca Nelson