®Planning appeal decision
Former Parkside Colliery Winwick Road Newton Le Willows WA12 8DB
the construction of up to 92,900m² of employment floorspace (use class B8 with ancillary B1(a)) and associated servicing and infrastructure including car parking; vehicle and pedestrian circulation space; alteration of existing access road including works to existing A49 Junction; noise mitigation; earthworks to create development platforms and bunds; landscaping including buffers; works to existing spoil heap; creation of drainage features; substations and ecological works
- Authority
- St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council
- Appeal type
- other
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- employment-industrial
- Postcode
- WA12 8DB
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The extent to which the proposed development is consistent with Government policies for protecting Green Belt land (NPPF Chapter 13)
- The extent to which the proposed development is consistent with Government policies for building a strong, competitive economy (NPPF Chapter 6)
- The extent to which the proposed development is consistent with the development plan for the area
What decided it
The very substantial weight attributed to the pressing need for employment/logistics land, combined with substantial regeneration benefits, clearly outweighed the substantial Green Belt harm, establishing very special circumstances.
The Green Belt harm (substantial weight), heritage harm (moderate weight) and other environmental harms (limited weight collectively) were clearly outweighed by the very substantial weight given to employment land need, substantial weight to regeneration benefits, and significant weight to locational benefits and lack of alternative sites, such that very special circumstances existed to justify the development in the Green Belt.
Framework references: 8, 11, 33, 80, 81, 82, 83, 103, 108, 110, 111, 120, 133, 143, 144, 148, 170, 174, 181, 183, 185, 186, 195, 196, 202
Plan policies cited: Policy GB1, Policy GB2, Policy CAS 3.2, Policy CSS1, Policy CE1, Policy ENV25, Policy CQL2, Policy CQL3, Policy CQL4, Policy CP1, Policy S1, Policy LPA02, Policy LPA04, Policy LPA10
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.