A large warehouse development in Knowsley is set to be approved as part of plans for the borough’s garden village development.
Situated on the former Cronton Colliery, the plans submitted by logistics company Tritax Symmetry form half of the proposals for the southern part of Halsnead Garden Village along with separate proposals for a country park.
Knowsley Council’s planning committee will discuss the proposals at a meeting on Thursday evening (June 10), when planning officers have recommended approving Tritax’s application.
Representations from the public have been evenly split, with 12 people writing in support of the plans and 12 objecting.
Those in favour of the plans said the development would lead to the creation of the country park and remove the “significant anti-social behaviour the site attracts”, while those objecting raised concerns about flooding, traffic and noise.
In a report prepared for the committee, planning officers said neither the flood authority nor the Environment Agency had raised objections based on flood risk from Foxes Bank while the council’s own environmental health team had proposed a condition that would mitigate the impact of noise from the development.
Environmental health officers did raise concern that the number of developments in the area would result in deteriorating air quality, particularly at the junction of Whitefield Lane and Cronton Road.
But planners said because Tritax’s development would contribute only a small increase in traffic - 11 vehicles per hour at peak times - its direct impact on air quality would be “minimal”.
They added: “Furthermore, in mitigation of the development’s impact on air quality, the provision of electric vehicle charging points is proposed on one in 20 of the total car parking spaces across the full element of the application.”
Tritax will also contribute £164,848 to compensate for the loss of wildlife habitats on the site.
The application being considered on Thursday includes definite plans for only one complete warehouse, along with infrastructure including a car park for the proposed country park.
It also includes an outline application for more warehouse space, involving around three more buildings, with further details to be confirmed at a later date.
Planners said the project was expected to create 1,146 jobs once completed, with employment opportunities for local residents.
The plans form part of the wider Halsnead Garden Village proposals, which will see around 1,600 homes built on land on the other side of the M62.
