‘More questions than answers’ in Cheshire homes consultation

Karen Racey was one of many who attended a public feedback event over Thelwall Heys housebuilding plans between Grappenhall and Thelwall, on land between Knutsford Road and Stockport Road.

The Grappenhall resident, who attended a Castle Green Homes community engagement event at Thelwall Parish Hall, said: “This was supposed to be an event to discuss the proposals, though from the posters around the room, this seemed like it is a foregone conclusion that the development will be going ahead.

“Many of the posters raised concerns and questions.

“The consultants present were unable to answer many of the questions raised during the event, and they appeared to have little information other than what was already displayed on the posters.

“A number of other dates were listed, though it was not clear what stage this proposed development is at, and whether approval had already been granted.

“How many people who are likely to be impacted have been engaged and are aware of this development?”

Karen also questioned why development is needed on green belt land, and raised other sites within Warrington using brown belt space such as Fiddler's Ferry.

She commented: “Is it just a case that the council plans to build as many houses as possible, regardless of where, to enable as much funding as possible to be gained through council tax?

“This is all to the detriment of existing residents of Warrington, who have to stand by and watch our green spaces ruined, and villages overwhelmed and consumed within massive new estates.”

Karen says that a significant concern of hers and several other attendees was the impact on roads from increased traffic.

She continued: “Can the builders or council explain how the extra traffic is not going to impact the A50?

“The A50 is used by people from Stockton Heath, Thelwall, Grappenhall and other south Warrington areas, though only Thelwall residents have had leaflets distributed to their homes.

“Many using this route are likely to be unaware of the impact on their commute.

“At the best of times there is queuing traffic, and on bad days, which occur frequently during the darker months, and when there are issues on the M6, the A50 is often gridlocked.”

Moreover, Karen questioned why there is significant development planned for south Warrington.

“It is obvious that like in Appleton, many of the new builds are and will be purchased by people from out of town, who then commute to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester,” she said.

“Surely Warrington should not be responsible for providing housing to accommodate these people.

An overview of the site in Grappenhall. Picture: Castle Green Homes

“Most young residents who have grown up in south Warrington, and who want to buy properties close to family, are unable to do so due to the shortfall in affordable properties.

“This development does little to address that, with only 20 per cent being ‘affordable’. Even the ‘affordable’ homes are unlikely to be affordable for first-time buyers.”

Flooding was also highlighted as an issue, with land proposed to be developed on being prone to flooding already.

“Often, the bridges under Bridgewater Canal, Cliff Lane and Halfacre Lane are impassible during high rainfall. In addition, the fields opposite Weaste Lane are flooded for days,” Karen raised.

“Where will this excess water be channelled when there are 300-plus houses on this land? Is this development not just going to make flooding worse?”

She added: “In summary, the consultation provided no real answers, but raised many questions and concerns.

“The posters presented a rosy picture which did not address and of the genuine concerns of the existing residents.

“It is obvious to most people that the council is being driven by money, in an attempt to address the massive deficit in funds due to poor investments.

“The council appears to be focused only on increasing its revenue, and is not acting in the best interests of existing residents, or considering the irreversible negative impact on the existing villages.

“Such a small number of people should not have the right to spoil what is left of south Warrington by overdevelopment of green field sites, purely to increase their income.

“I fail to see any positives for Thelwall and Grappenhall that will result from this and any future developments on green sites in this area.

“If it is approved and goes ahead, this area will be spoilt forever, due to the greed of a council that is desperate for money.”

To see the consultation, visit thelwallheysconsultation.co.uk

Castle Green Homes says: “For more than 50 years, there has been a sustained lack of housebuilding nationally, and a failure to deliver the number of homes required to meet the needs of a population which is living longer, resulting in shortages of both open market and affordable housing.

“There exists a ‘housing crisis’ in the UK, where growing numbers of people are living in unsuitable accommodation for their needs or cannot afford to acquire a home – the average first-time buyer in the UK being 34 years old – an increase of five years since 1990.

“The Government is clear that there is a need to ‘significantly boost’ the supply of housing, defining housing targets for each local authority to meet its current and future needs and deliver just over 370,000 new homes per year nationally.

“In its adopted Local Plan, Warrington Borough Council highlights a need to deliver 14,688 new homes between 2021 and 2039 – 816 dwellings per annum – and identifies the site at Thelwall Heys as a site which will make a valuable contribution to meeting this need.”