Planning chiefs have narrowly approved construction of what one branded a ‘b****y monstrosity’ electricity substation in Runcorn.
Debate raged during this week’s meeting of Halton’s development management committee over a scheme to construct the substation off Windmill Hill Avenue.
The application by government agency Homes England had been criticised by some local councillors and the town’s MP in the runup to the meeting, with much of the anger stemming from the fact the facility is set to service two estates on the neighbouring area of Sandymoor – but will itself be located in Norton just metres from existing homes and lead to the loss of green space and trees.
The station is designed to provide for the future power needs of two massive new build estates, Sandymoor South phase two – consisting of 250 properties - and Wharford Farm, with 600 homes planned. Both are part of a wider scheme by government agency Homes England which ha seen 1,500 homes either built or receive planning permission in the area.
Cllr Chris Loftus had tabled a motion to refuse the scheme. A motion requires a seconder which was initially forthcoming, but later withdrawn when officers explained that citing loss of green space as a reason to reject it would likely not be upheld on appeal.
Cllr Loftus said: "I feel sorry for the people of Farnley Close, simply because why should they have to put up with this b****y monstrosity when they're not going to have any benefit of the weather from the power?"
He added: “They're only interested in the future people that are going to buy the houses in Sandymoor and they don't want the monstrosity there, because it might reduce the price of the houses or the price of the land that they're going to get for the houses in Sandymoor.
“To me, this stinks and as far as I’m concerned there's no way that we should be allowing this to go on."
Some councillors were also concerned that the site is designated as green space in the council’s delivery and allocations local plan (DALP) – a blueprint which sets out the borough’s planning policy up to 2037. It acts as a guideline to what can, and can not be built in certain parts of the borough.
Objector Mike Ryan, councillor for Daresbury, Moore and Sandymoor, addressed the meeting, he said: "For me this delivery plan and our reaction to it is really important. If we decide that we're going to permit developers and applicants to do things which is not in accordance with this plan, then that would open up a whole world of issues for me in terms of people putting applications in frivolously for green space, biodiversity space and so forth."
Officers said there was enough green space in the local area to compensate for its loss, which they said could lead to the council losing a costly planning appeal if they refused the scheme and the decision was later overturned by a government inspector. They also advised that members did not have to be constrained by the DALP if they thought there were other factors which warranted approval.
Following lengthy discussions, a motion to back the project was tabled and seconded, with it passing narrowly by five to four.
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