Having considered the key elements of the above plan we wish to object to the proposed plan on the following grounds
1. HOUSING
We all understand need for new houses to be built because of the changing demographics. However, the proposed building of up to 4200 new houses in the Grappenhall, Appleton, Appleton Thorn and Stretton areas on what is now greenbelt land is an irreversible precedent which will be used repeatedly by developers to justify further encroachment on the greenbelt. We see no serious consideration of brown site alternatives in these documents but also no compelling justification for resorting to the greenbelt option
The concentration of new houses in these areas, unnecessarily, threatens the very integrity of the villages their landscape and village life as greater pressure is placed on roads, services and facilities . As an alternative , more centrally located brownfield sites would provide residents with greater amenity and less commuting.
1. INFRASTRUCTURE
It is frankly ridiculous For the plan to assume that you can increase the population in these areas so drastically with the accompanying traffic and use of public services without a significant investment in infrastructure to accommodate these changes.
To draw your attention to one example ,Anyone travelling by road in these areas will constantly experience the congestion at the pinch points when crossing the Ship or Bridgewater canals. These Victorian bridges are already overloaded for much of the time and the plan provides no concrete assurances that these issues will be addressed as an integral part of the plan . As so often happens the necessary expenditure on infrastructure improvements is either delayed or mistakenly dismissed. This leaves residents of these areas to suffer the delays congestion and frustration resulting from bad planning decisions.
1. THE TOWN CENTRE
This local plan is supposed to be a strategic planning document to develop the borough for the next 17 years . Alas it does little to reignite people?s passion and
interest in Warrington Town Centre. The plan is devoid of innovative ideas or funding, to reverse its decline. Instead it has an over- optimistic reliance on housing as the engine for economic growth
1. WAREHOUSING AND LOGISTICS
The plan embraces a significant expansion of the above industries on greenbelt in the proximity of junction 20 of the M6 . These space-hungry industries with their high level of automation bring few jobs to the area but have a disproportionate impact on HGV traffic congestion & air quality on roads /roundabouts leading to the motorways .
There are existing areas along the M62 corridor which have an equivalent access to motorways and are already in industrialised space . Surely these are a better alternative to the destruction of greenbelt and the pressure on local roads.
Having considered the key elements of the above plan we wish to object to the proposed plan on the following grounds
1. HOUSING
We all understand need for new houses to be built because of the changing demographics. However, the proposed building of up to 4200 new houses in the Grappenhall, Appleton, Appleton Thorn and Stretton areas on what is now greenbelt land is an irreversible precedent which will be used repeatedly by developers to justify further encroachment on the greenbelt. We see no serious consideration of brown site alternatives in these documents but also no compelling justification for resorting to the greenbelt option
The concentration of new houses in these areas, unnecessarily, threatens the very integrity of the villages their landscape and village life as greater pressure is placed on roads, services and facilities . As an alternative , more centrally located brownfield sites would provide residents with greater amenity and less commuting.
1. INFRASTRUCTURE
It is frankly ridiculous For the plan to assume that you can increase the population in these areas so drastically with the accompanying traffic and use of public services without a significant investment in infrastructure to accommodate these changes.
To draw your attention to one example ,Anyone travelling by road in these areas will constantly experience the congestion at the pinch points when crossing the Ship or Bridgewater canals. These Victorian bridges are already overloaded for much of the time and the plan provides no concrete assurances that these issues will be addressed as an integral part of the plan . As so often happens the necessary expenditure on infrastructure improvements is either delayed or mistakenly dismissed. This leaves residents of these areas to suffer the delays congestion and frustration resulting from bad planning decisions.
1. THE TOWN CENTRE
This local plan is supposed to be a strategic planning document to develop the borough for the next 17 years . Alas it does little to reignite people?s passion and
interest in Warrington Town Centre. The plan is devoid of innovative ideas or funding, to reverse its decline. Instead it has an over- optimistic reliance on housing as the engine for economic growth
1. WAREHOUSING AND LOGISTICS
The plan embraces a significant expansion of the above industries on greenbelt in the proximity of junction 20 of the M6 . These space-hungry industries with their high level of automation bring few jobs to the area but have a disproportionate impact on HGV traffic congestion & air quality on roads /roundabouts leading to the motorways .
There are existing areas along the M62 corridor which have an equivalent access to motorways and are already in industrialised space . Surely these are a better alternative to the destruction of greenbelt and the pressure on local roads.