Council deals blow to 350-home plan in neighbouring borough

Applause greeted Knowsley Council’s decision to scupper Taylor Wimpey’s plans to redevelop a site on the border with Halton by refusing consent for access.

Halton Council had already granted planning permission to the volume housebuilder for the redevelopment of 35.5-acre site off Chapel Lane in Widnes in September.

Some 98% of the site is located within the borough of Halton, but that did not stop Knowsley Council blocking the plans due to concerns about highway safety related to the proposed vehicle access, a new T-junction located on the Knowsley side of the border.

Having analysed the proposals, Knowsley’s highways team had deemed them acceptable and the scheme was recommended for approval.

However, an alternative motion to refuse on safety grounds was put forward by Cllr Jayne Lonergan and carried.

The developer now has several options. It could appeal the refusal, seek to address Knowsley’s concerns, or attempt to move the access into Halton.

Taylor Wimpey’s project proposes 20% affordable provision but has faced a high level of opposition from the public on both sides of the border.

Despite its previous Green Belt designation, which some objectors alluded to, the land has now been allocated for housing under Halton’s local plan.

To learn more about the scheme, use the planning reference number 23/00244/OUT on Halton Council’s planning portal or 23/01037/OUT on Knowsley’s.