Dear Mr Prescott,

On behalf of constituents in my ward I would urge you to 'call in' the above planning application and hopefully direct a refusal or subject the matter to a public inquiry.

This application for an 'out-of-town' sub-regional retail development runs totally contrary to the planning principles being currently espoused by the Government through planning policy guidance. It is contrary to the north west's emerging regional planning guidance and it is contrary to (the unadopted) local plan policies of the council. Hence the matter, having been approved by local planning authority (LPA) has now had to be referred to a departure procedure.

The only reason this application was approved was because it included the funding and provision of a new rugby league stadium as part of the development. A parallel application for the superstore without the stadium was refused by the LPA on the recommendation of professional officers. The decision of the LPA to approve the retail store with the stadium followed months of campaigning by the rugby club based on sheer sentiment and without any argument of planning substance whatsoever. However the strength of this campaign was of such a magnitude that it brought political influence to bear on what should have been a non-political quasi-legal decision.

The officers' report to the LPA recommended a refusal as the weight of planning argument against this development was, in my opinion, overwhelming.

The report to the LPA indicates the reasons for refusal from the various disciplines:

Contrary to national, regional and local policy

Would compromise traffic flows on Winwick Road. With 40,000 customers per week this would represent one car every 15 seconds and an increase of 20 per cent in traffic

No environmental impact assessment was presented and our environmental health officers objected on air quality grounds

Will compromise Warrington town centre retail viability and similarly the centres of neighbouring local authorities. This was shown to be the case by a retail study, commissioned by the council, which demonstrated an existing adequacy of food retail provision in the town.

Will compromise small local shopping in Orford Lane inflicting more social exclusion on an already deprived areas

Will cause fly parking throughout the local residential neighbourhood and encourage 'rat-running' through residential streets to avoid 'grid-lock'

The proposed use of the stadium for late night entertainment will cause social problems in adjoining residential areas associated with the consumption of alcohol (as exists at the existing stadium)

As a councillor, with a close experience of the planning process for over 16 years, I believe this LPA approval to be nothing short of a catastrophe for the town and a complete distortion of the purpose and ethical basis of the planning process.

Clearly the applicant has seized the opportunity to use the plight and aspirations of a local rugby club as an emotional and political battering ram to break through rational planning adjudication.

I would therefore appeal to you, in the interests of the reputation and credibility of the planning process in this country to call in this application and refer it to an independent public inquiry or, if possible, refuse it as a departure from policy.

CLR M. HUGHES,

Representing Fairfield and Howley ward