AS this is my first column of 2016 may I begin by wishing everyone a belated happy new year.

The year did not begin well for many people with floods across the region, including Warrington, although we seem to have been spared the worst.

I then received the news that Satnam are intending to submit yet another planning application for the Peel Hall site.

They intend to submit an application for up to 1,200 homes, employment and what they call 'a local centre'.

Residents have shown, when previous applications were considered, that they were opposed to development on the last green space in north Warrington and I urge as many people as possible to attend the consultation they are holding on Saturday at the Church of the Resurrection & St Bridget’s between 11.30am and 5pm.

I very much doubt that their application will meet the housing need in Warrington.

We are in desperate need of more houses to rent and affordable homes to allow young people to get a foot on the housing ladder.

Yet the government defines 'affordable' homes as those which require a rent of no more than 80 per cent of the area's market rate or homes for sale at a cost above social rent but below market levels.

This often puts many so-called affordable homes well out of reach of people on low, or even average, wages.

Everyone should be entitled to a decent place to live but the Government recently voted down Labour amendments requiring housing associations offering right-to-buy to reinvest all the money received into replacement affordable housing and to ensure the 20 per cent discount on all starter homes is made permanent thus reducing their cost in perpetuity.

Labour’s suggestion that a planning obligation be imposed on the construction of all new housing for sale that a proportion is marketed exclusively to local first time buyers was also defeated.

As for Satnam’s plans it will be interesting to see the detail but I suspect much of their development will, once again, be expensive homes for commuters not affordable homes for Warrington people and that residents will, once again, be opposed to their plans.

If so, I shall certainly be supporting them.