Statement of Case Proposed single carriageway link road between A49 Winwick Road (WA12 8EF) and A573 Parkside Road; at each location a signalised junction will be formed. The road then utilises the existing A573 Parkside Road to cross the M6 (via existing overbridge) before realigning Parkside Road to a new roundabout before heading east to A579 Winwick Lane to a newly formed roundabout. The section of carriageway from the new Winwick Lane roundabout and the M6 Junction 22 will be a dual carriageway. The A573 and A579 will be realigned to the new roundabouts Land between A49 Winwick Road to A573 Parkside Road, including a proportion of the former Parkside Colliery with land, from A573 Parkside Road to A579 Winwick Lane connecting to M6 Junction 22, WA2 8ST Warrington Borough Council Reference: 2018/32514 Appeal Reference: APP/M0655/V/20/3253232 July 2020 Contents Page 1.0 Introduction 1 2.0 The site and the surrounding area 3 3.0 The proposed development 4 4.0 Planning history 5 5.0 Planning policy framework 6 6.0 The case for the Local Planning Authority 7 7.0 Conditions and Section 106 obligation 12 8.0 Conclusions 13 Appendix 1: Draft suggested conditions should permission be granted Appendix 2: List of documents Appendix 3: Committee report Anyone wishing to inspect the application documents can do so on the Council’s website (www.warrington.gov.uk) APP/M0655/V/20/3253232 Parkside Link Road Warrington Borough Council Statement of Case 1.0 Introduction 1.1 This Statement of Case (SoC) is prepared on behalf of Warrington Borough Council (“the Council”) in respect of the application for planning permission for the creation of the Parkside Link Road (“PLR”) on land between A49 Winwick Road to A573 Parkside Road, including a proportion of the former Parkside Colliery with land from A573 Parkside Road to A579 Winwick Lane connecting to M6 Junction 22, WA2 8ST (“the site”). 1.2 The planning application is for the following development: Proposed single carriageway link road between A49 Winwick Road (WA12 8EF) and A573 Parkside Road; at each location a signalised junction will be formed. The road then utilises the existing A573 Parkside Road to cross the M6 (via existing overbridge) before realigning Parkside Road to a new roundabout before heading east to A579 Winwick Lane to a newly formed roundabout. The section of carriageway from the new Winwick Lane roundabout and the M6 Junction 22 will be a dual carriageway. The A573 and A579 will be realigned to the new roundabouts 1.3 The proposed development covers land within the administrative boundaries of Warrington Borough and St Helen councils. Separate planning applications were submitted to each authority for the parts of the development within their boundaries. The planning applications for the PLR were submitted by St Helens Council (“the applicant”). 1.4 In addition to the PLR, there are three further elements of relevance relating to the Parkside area (referred to as Parkside phases 1, 2 and 3), all of which are within St Helens’ administrative boundary. Information on these is provided in the initial Statement of Common Ground (SoCG) between the Council, the applicant and St Helens Local Planning Authority which has been submitted by the applicant. 1.5 The key dates associated with the application are as follows: The application was validated by the Council in March 2018 The applicant submitted amended plans and an addendum to the Environmental Statement in March 2019 The application was recommended for approval to the Council’s Development Management Committee on 18th December 2019, subject conditions and a S106 obligation and subject to the Secretary of State (SoS) not wishing to intervene The application was referred to the SoS in January 2020 due to the site’s location within the Green Belt and scale of the proposed development The SoS called the application in on 21st May 2020 and confirmed that it is to 1 APP/M0655/V/20/3253232 Parkside Link Road Warrington Borough Council Statement of Case be considered at a local inquiry alongside the following other planning applications: o St Helens Council application P/2018/0249/FUL for the formation of a new link road between A49 Winwick Road and M6 Junction 22 including the re-alignment of Parkside Road. o St Helens Council application P/2018/0048/OUP for employment floorspace (Phase 1 of former Parkside Colliery development) at Newton Le Willows. o Wigan Council application A/18/85947 for a proposed employment development on land at Junction 25 of the M6 Motorway. o Bolton Council application 04766/18 for an employment development on land west of Wingates Industrial Estate off Chorley Road, Westhoughton, Bolton. 1.6 This statement sets out the Council’s case in support of the application. It describes the site and its surroundings and the proposed development. It identifies the relevant planning history, relevant planning policy and guidance and then sets out the Council’s case by discussing the matters set out in the SoS’s call-in letter. Finally this statement lists the conditions that are suggested should planning permission be granted and the list of documents that the Council intends to refer to or use in evidence. 2 APP/M0655/V/20/3253232 Parkside Link Road Warrington Borough Council Statement of Case 2.0 The site and the surrounding area 2.1 The entire application site lies within the Green Belt. On the west side of the M6, the application site includes a section of Winwick Road (A49) at the entrance to the former Parkside Colliery site, part of the former colliery, two parcels of land which run southwards to the brook (all within St Helens), fields to the south and west of the M6 and part of Parkside Road, close to Wood Head Farm on the west side of Parkside Road and Monk House on the east side (all within Warrington). 2.2 The farmhouse and barn at Wood Head Farm are both Grade II listed and Monk House is included on the Council’s local list. To the south of this part of the application site is St Oswald’s Well, which is Grade II listed and a scheduled ancient monument, and the hamlet of Hermitage Green which includes a number of locally listed buildings, all of which are within Warrington. 2.3 The application site crosses the M6 on the existing overbridge and continues northwards to Parkside Farm on Parkside Road (within St Helens). It also continues southwards, through existing fields (within St Helens), until it meets Winwick Lane, which is within Warrington. A small section of the application site extends north-eastwards along Winwick Lane in the direction of Oven Back Cottage with the remainder of the application site extending south-westwards the roundabout at junction 22 of the M6. On the south-eastern side of Winwick Lane, outside of the application site and within Warrington, are a number of residential properties, including Oven Back Farm which is on the Council’s local list, fields and a quarry. The application site also includes part of the Battle of Winwick Registered Battlefield, a designated heritage asset. The majority of the battlefield within the application site falls within St Helens’ boundary. There are also a number of other heritage assets within St Helens. 3 APP/M0655/V/20/3253232 Parkside Link Road Warrington Borough Council Statement of Case 3.0 The Proposed Development 3.1 The application site comprises 37.7ha of which 12.7 falls within the Council’s administrative boundary. The road development (excluding the temporary area identified for construction compounds and other services) would be 0.37ha in Warrington and 2.73ha in St Helens. 3.2 The proposed development comprises the following: 1.45km of new single carriageway extending eastwards from the A49 Winwick Road to the A573 Parkside Road including a new three arm signalised junction in broadly the same location as the existing access that served the former colliery. To cater for the signals and for right turning vehicles there would be a new dedicated left turn on the northern approach to the junction and a right turn ghost island to the south. There would also be new pedestrian refuge islands and crossing facilities to the north of the junction with the A49 (known as Parkside Link Road West; partly within St Helens, partly within Warrington); 1.3km of new single carriageway road east of the M6 linking the A573 Parkside Road to a new roundabout on the A579 Winwick Lane (comprising 800m Parkside Link Road East, 250m Parkside Road West and 250m Parkside Road South; within St Helens); 300m of new dual carriageway road extending westwards from the new roundabout mentioned above to the M6 at junction 22 (known as Winwick Lane South; within St Helens with the exception of Winwick Lane and part of junction 22), including the demolition of Rough Farm, on the north side of Winwick Lane (in St Helens); 295m of new single carriageway road extending eastwards from the new roundabout to tie in with the existing A579 Winwick Lane (known as Winwick Lane North; within St Helens); Reconfiguration of access to the properties on the south side of the A579 Winwick Lane (within Warrington); A grass verge and shared cycle and pedestrian route along the entirety of the proposed road. There would be a foot and cycle way on the northern side of the road with sections on the southern side; Lighting along the whole of the carriageway; Drainage to Hermitage Green Brook/Oswalds Brook (to the west of the M6) and drainage to either Cockshot Brook or soakaways (to the east of the M6); and An ecological mitigation area (within Warrington).