THE Green Party has raised concerns over plans at a garden centre which have been compared to an ‘inland dockyard for freight containers’.

Retrospective planning permission for the storage of additional containers and vehicles at White Moss Nursery and Garden Centre in Cuerdley was refused in September last year.

But the applicant is now appealing this decision to the Secretary of State.

The Warrington and Halton Green Party has objected to the appeal though, stating that proposals for the South Lane site are ‘not suitable activity for the green belt’.

Environment spokesman Stephanie Davies said: “We objected to the site usage last September when Geoff Settle, one of our Green Party activists, was alerted to the issues by a local resident.

“She was concerned that the applicant was extending his scrap metal business and parking up trailers in an area of greenbelt.

“There was a lot of local unrest and a number of people contacted me about the unlawful use.

“It is out of character for the local area, not easily accessible from and to the main road by articulated vehicles, in short, an inappropriate use of the site.”

Residents have also raised worries over road safety issues relating to the garden centre.

Mr Settle, a former Mayor of Warrington and Warrington Borough Council development management committee member, added: “I went along to the site and saw mechanical diggers at work through a gap in the trees from vantage points in the adjacent garden centre.

“Photographs that I received showed unmistakable evidence of trailers, piles of aggregate and soil as well as piles of scrap metal.”

“We spent months preparing and fighting the Peel Hall appeal by Satnam and the evidence of the inspector went to the Secretary of State to make his decision.

“He ruled in favour of the applicant.

“That was an annoying and painful decision that thousands of people will have to suffer from the consequences of the impending nine-year development.

“Surely Michael Gove will see sense this time, won’t he?”