®Planning appeal decision
Heath Business and Technical Park, Heath Road South, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4QX
Planning appeal 3352472 at Heath Business and Technical Park, Heath Road South, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4QX (Halton Borough Council) was dismissed on 8 December 2025 by Inspector Woodwards O, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The main consideration is the extent to which the proposed development raises issues of risk to public safety and the extent to which it is consistent with the Framework and the Development Plan for the area.
Outline application (all matters reserved) for up to 545 residential units (C3/C2), ancillary flexible E, F2 and C1 floorspace, sui generis uses (STEAM spaces, drinking establishment, vertical farm), highways access/servicing and associated infrastructure works at Heath Business and Technical Park
- Authority
- Halton Borough Council
- Appeal type
- other · Called In Planning Application
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Woodwards O
- Postcode
- WA7 4QX
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The main consideration is the extent to which the proposed development raises issues of risk to public safety and the extent to which it is consistent with the Framework and the Development Plan for the area.
What decided it
The unresolved and potentially significant risk to the safety of future occupants and users of the site from the adjacent Runcorn Chemicals Complex outweighed the substantial benefits of the scheme.
The substantial/significant benefits of the proposal (brownfield regeneration and accessibility, economic benefits, housing including affordable housing, biodiversity net gain, greenspace and character enhancements, low carbon factors) were outweighed by the very substantial weight given to the unresolved risk to public safety, despite overall accordance with the development plan, leading to refusal under s.38(6).
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CS(R)1Policy CS(R)3Policy CS(R)4Policy CS(R)5Policy CS(R)7Policy CS(R)12Policy CS(R)13Policy CS(R)15Policy CS(R)18Policy CS(R)19Policy CS(R)20Policy CS(R)21Policy CS(R)22Policy CS23Policy CS24Policy C1Policy C2Policy C4Policy ED2Policy ED3Policy GR1Policy GR2Policy HC1Policy HC5Policy HC8Policy HE1Policy HE2Policy HE4Policy HE5Policy HE7Policy HE8Policy HE9Policy RD4Policy WM8Policy WM9Policy PR12
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 32Paragraph 57Paragraph 58Paragraph 102
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Halton
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Notice varied and upheld8 May 20263372125Rotherham House, Lunts Heath Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 5BB
- Dismissed6 March 202660019641-4 Salisbury Street, Widness, WA8 6AZ
- Dismissed19 November 20253372152Rotherham House Lunts Heath Road, Widnes, WA8 5BB
- Allowed21 March 20253354344Land at Green Oaks Centre, Green Oaks Way, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 6UD
- Allowed2 August 20243341535132 Halton Road, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 5RW
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.