®Planning appeal decision
Moss Lane, Lostock Green, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 7PG
Planning appeal 3352792 at Moss Lane, Lostock Green, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 7PG (Cheshire West and Chester) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 23 October 2025 by Inspector Hitchcock R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the development requires a countryside location and could not be accommodated in an identified settlement in the interests of protecting the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside.
‘The material change of use of the land to storage and distribution (Class B8) use for the storage of refrigerated trailers, plus an open sided structure with plastic panelled dual pitched roof and the construction of earth bunds’ (“the unauthorised development”)
- Authority
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- employment-industrial · Change of use
- Inspector
- Hitchcock R
- Postcode
- CW9 7TG
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the development requires a countryside location and could not be accommodated in an identified settlement in the interests of protecting the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside
- Effect of the development on highway safety
- Effect of the development on health and safety arising from potential past site contamination
- Effect of the development on biodiversity
What decided it
The storage use met a demonstrated need for outside storage that could not be met within settlements and would make effective use of previously developed land, outweighing moderate countryside harm that could be mitigated by landscaping; conversely, the building and bunds lacked justification and caused significant unjustified harm.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy STRAT 9Policy STRAT 10Policy ENV 2Policy ENV 3Policy ENV 4Policy ENV 6Policy DM 3Policy DM 32Policy DM 44Policy DM 45Policy SOC 5Policy T5
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 56Paragraph 124Paragraph 125Paragraph 196Paragraph 197
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 Cheshire West and Chester
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Notice upheld22 July 20263349074The Cedars, Towers Lane, Alvanley, Frodsham, Cheshire, WA6 0LG
- Split Decision27 April 20263376531The Barnyard, Marsh Lane, Kings Marsh, Chester, CH3 6NG
- Split Decision27 April 20263376530The Barnyard, Marsh Lane, Kings Marsh, Chester, CH3 6NG
- Notice upheld15 April 20263375569Rushmere Lodge, Beauty Bank, Whitegate, Winsford, Cheshire, CW8 2BP
- Planning permission granted23 March 20263354908The Lodge, Heath Lane Nurseries Heath Lane, Willaston, Neston, CH64 1TP
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.