There was a lack of clarity around the extensive proposals for South Warrington. Consultation events run by the council with council officers present should have taken place in the south of the Borough, the area most directly affected the South East Urban Extension.

The case has not been made for the growth that is driving the increased housing numbers in the Plan. The 2018 ONS data predicts significantly lower growth for the town (458 homes per annum verses the plans 816 homes per annum). In the early years of the plan an enhanced stepped approach to the building figures could be taken which would allow for only the available brownfield sites to be developed. Greenbelt release will have an adverse impact on efforts to regenerate the town centre and brownfield developments.

The exceptional circumstances are based on a flawed assessment of the housing target. The Plan (Para 4.1.10) confirms that Warrington has an urban capacity of approximately 11,800 homes that could be built on brownfield sites, the annual ?target? pre the 10% uplift of 816 homes (which I considered to be un sound and excessive), implies that there is sufficient brownfield land to support a 14 1/2 year building program. On this basis there is no need to release any Green Belt until sometime well beyond the first decade of this plan

The release of Green Belt is not sound in the face of the Council's own climate emergency, the governments own declaration of a climate emergency and the global desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When brownfield land is available for use there is no sustainable justification for the release of Green Belt land on the outskirts of the town. The release of land in the countryside surrounding the town and in particular the South East Urban Extension will create further car dependent suburbs, leading to further congestion, pollution and negatively impacting the climate change agenda of the Town and the Country.

The economic case for this new road crossing of the Manchester Ship Canal and Mersey no longer exists in the Plan. The Western Link will do nothing for connectivity for those residents living to the east of London Road. The Western Link will have the perverse impact of increasing road traffic through Warrington as motorists seek an alternative to the toll bridges over the Mersey towards Widnes.

The proposed road infrastructure improvements will not address any of the current issues of congestion rather they will simply link areas within the already congested hinterland bounded by the Bridgewater Canal, the M6, the M56 and London Road (A49). The proposals will not increase access to the town centre and will only serve to encourage travel to other areas, such as Liverpool, Chester and Manchester. The Southeast Urban Extension proposes a minimum of 4200 homes but there are no guarantees regarding the infrastructure to support those homes the provision of which are developer dependent. The Plan provides little confidence that the infrastructure will be built ahead of the homes, this is the all too frequent reality for new communities and there are not sufficient safeguards to ensure the delivery of the infrastructure required to support these homes. It will increase air pollution levels in the already highly polluted areas of Stockton Heath, Latchford and London Road. It will create material harm to the visual and residential amenity of those already living in Stretton. In particular it will destroy the current views afforded to those entering Warrington from junction 10 of the M56, a view currently across open fields towards Saint Matthews Church which gives the overall impression of entering a rural village environment. The proposed development of this land will have the effect of creating a suburban feel the moment one leaves junction 10 of the M56.

The opportunity to develop Fiddlers Ferry which has rail transport links to the town centre has been missed. This location should not become an employment location but a new village built on brownfield land with sustainable links to the town centre and beyond. The plan as currently drafted fails to capitalise on the opportunities that present themselves to the council for Brownfield land residential use at Fiddlers Ferry.

It fails to grasp the opportunities and challenges of the 21st-century and the expectation that people travel to work by walking, cycling and public transport is unrealistic.