I object to Warrington's Proposed Submission Version Local Plan, 2021, for the following reasons:

? The proposed location of land allocated for future housing would mean the unjustified loss of green belt land. This would have far-reaching consequences for Warrington. It would mean the loss of some 5% of Warrington?s green belt, concentrated disproportionately in the south-west of the borough. The environmental impact of increased traffic would be substantial, with higher levels of air pollution. Important land for informal recreation and leisure would be lost. The character and distinctiveness of Walton, Appleton, Grappenhall and Stretton would be damaged irreparably by proposed development. Given the questionable reliability of the estimates of future housing need over the plan period, there is not a sufficiently strong case for the permanent loss of green belt land.

? The housing need figures on which the plan is based have not been determined on a sound basis. The plan covers a period of 20 years, which is unnecessarily long. Deriving a robust estimate of future housing need is rendered more difficult by the decision to plan over such a long period of time. There is a substantial body of academic research which demonstrates the difficulty in deriving accurate forecasts of future population, particularly over long periods of time. Population forecasts for individual local authority districts are highly sensitive to minor fluctuations in economic circumstances that are difficult to anticipate or predict with the required degree of confidence. It is very difficult to anticipate future migratory flows, especially in a context of unprecedented political uncertainty. If the ONS?s 2018 population projections were used to determine future local plan housing allocations, this would imply an annual need for a smaller net additional number of dwellings to 2038. Given this uncertainty over likely future housing need, the draft local plan should be more circumspect in releasing green belt land. Instead, the plan should adopt much more cautious figures in order to plan for housing land release. A substantially increased number of future housing completions could then take place on brownfield sites, without the need for green belt encroachment to the extent anticipated in the draft plan.

? The draft plan is unsound because it does not adequately specify proposals to enhance infrastructure to accommodate the development envisaged. The existing road network is south Warrington is already at or near its full capacity. The draft plan does not properly outline how the increased demand placed on infrastructure will be accommodated. There is no provision for meaningful enhancement to major highways such as the A49 through south Warrington. Existing crossing points for the Manchester Ship Canal are expected to accommodate potentially significant increases in traffic stemming from new housing and industrial development. The draft plan does not set out in a clear way how the likely stress on existing infrastructure could be offset or mitigated. For the proposed development to be viable, the plan needs to specify with much greater clarity what is proposed in respect of enhancement to existing road capacity and future public transport provision. This should mean setting out in detail the mechanism through which appropriate funding will be raised, beyond relying on unspecified future developer contributions.