COUNCILLORS have been recommended to approve huge plans for a new distribution hub on green belt land in south Warrington.

Developers Langtree and Panattoni have submitted blueprints proposing the £180 million employment site, named Six 56 Warrington.

It would be located next to junction 20 of the M6 and junction nine of the M56 in Lymm.

The outline application will come before the council’s development management committee at its Town Hall meeting next Thursday, March 10.

The plans have sparked opposition from the public, politicians and parish councils.

Comments from Tory Warrington South MP Andy Carter are included in the report to the committee.

He says approval of the application would be ‘premature’ in advance of the local plan, the applicant has failed to demonstrate that there are very special circumstances for the development in the green belt, and that it cannot be right that green belt land would be released when suitable brownfield locations, such as Fiddlers Ferry, are available which would also offer rail links and access to the Manchester Ship Canal.

Meanwhile, Cllr Ryan Bate (LD – Grappenhall) objects to the application as he believes it fails to meet very special circumstances and approval before adoption of the new local plan would ‘predetermine that process’ and ‘undermine the opportunity’ for members of the public to make their views known.

He also said the land has significant landscape value and contributes to the environment and health, the scale of the proposed development would damage the character of the area and there would be an impact on the highway network.

The application was publicised by neighbour notification letters and site and press notices both upon submission and following the receipt of the Environmental Statement addendum.

In response to the first publicity period, approximately 555 objections, including one from a residents’ association, and one letter of support were received.

Following the second publicity period, approximately 331 objections were received, along with one letter of support.

Following the third publicity period, 48 objections were received.

Objections have been made on grounds including inappropriate development, no very special circumstances, the economic argument ‘does not clearly outweigh’ the harm to the green belt and an increase in traffic including HGVs on neighbouring roads and the motorways which are already at ‘capacity’.

Officers have highlighted a number of ‘important considerations’, including a number of ‘benefits’.

These comprise meeting an identified need, an absence of alternatives, the deliverability of the application site, socio-economic benefits, ecology benefits and traffic and transportation benefits.

Officers say the significance of the considerations highlighted in the report is ‘compelling’ and ‘weighs very heavily in favour’ of the proposed development, adding that they are considered to ‘clearly outweigh’ the harm to the green belt and the other harm caused by the proposal and very special circumstances therefore exist to ‘justify the approval’ of the application.

Officers have recommended the application be approved subject to conditions and a S106 obligation and the secretary of state not wishing to intervene.