Haydock green belt development rejected by councillors

The 7.8-hectare plot, which lies to the north east of Haydock Industrial Estate, is a greenfield site, with the exception of an access road from Haydock Lane.

The full planning application proposed the construction of four warehouses with a combined external floor area of 27,402m2.

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One unit would be considered ‘large scale’, while the other three would be considered ‘medium scale’.

The primary use of the development is for storage and distribution, but the application proposes up to 5,575m2 of the floorspace could be used for general industrial purposes.

The applicant, Canmoor Developments, said the employment site will deliver around 124 jobs over two years, rising to 437 following completion of the scheme.

Canmoor said it will represent an investment of approximately £21 million into the local economy and would generate an indirect benefit to the economy of £19.4 million.

However, the development is a speculative one, meaning no end user has been found.

The applicant’s submission identifies that the application proposes a form of inappropriate development, but argued that it should be granted as there are “very special circumstances” that clearly outweigh the harm caused to the green belt and any other harm.

This was backed up by St Helens Council’s planning officers, who recommended the application for approval.

A council report on the plans said the proposed development would cause harm to the green belt and would have a “significant impact” on its openness.

However, it said the proposed development would make a “modest but important” contribution to the employment land supply in St Helens.

Cllr David van der Burg, Green Party councillor for Haydock

At the planning meeting on Tuesday, Green Party councillor for Haydock, David van der Burg, urged the committee to reject the plans.

Cllr van der Burg said: “The council’s report lists the many ways in which the proposal is inappropriate and harmful, it then sets out the reason for recommending that the proposal be accepted which is – money, nothing more.

“The council believes that the application be granted because it might bring in some warehousing jobs and says that this possibility would clearly outweigh the substantial harm caused to the green belt, and the other harm identified in their report.

“I could not disagree more.”

Michael Sparks, the agent and architect of the development, spoke on behalf of Canmoor Developments.

Mr Sparks said the site has “excellent access” to the motorway and would form a “high quality” employment site to serve St Helens.

He said Canmoor has worked hard over the last two years with planning officers to “refine” the scheme, to increase the provision of employment land in the borough in an appropriate manner.

Mr Sparks added that Canmoor has demonstrated that there is “a very clear need” for the development, and that it can be accommodated on the site without any adverse impacts.

Speaking as a public speaker, Haydock councillor Martin Bond questioned whether there really is a lack of employment land in the borough, pointing to suitable brownfield sites in Haydock.

Cllr Bond, cabinet member for finance, said there is “no need” for the development to be built where it is proposed, and accused developers of targeting greenfield sites because they are “easy pickings”.

“You’ll forgive me if I have some issues with regards to the lack of land that’s available,” Cllr Bond said.

“This is about easy pickings. It’s about green belt land being cheap for developers to make big profits from.

“It’s not about people – it’s about profit.”

Cllr Bond also dismissed the estimated jobs figures, pointing to the recent announcement that Amazon was creating an initial 250 jobs at its Florida Farm warehouse – much fewer than the 1,000 jobs previously touted by Bericote Properties, the developer of the site.

Bericote said the second Florida Farm warehouse, which is also a speculative development, would deliver 1,500 jobs, bringing the tally up to 2,500.

Cllr Bond said: “We were promised 2,500 jobs. As was quoted, ‘real jobs that will be delivered. Possibly even double that’.

“And then we’re getting 250.”

Haydock councillor Martin Bond, cabinet member for finance, spoke against the plans as a public speaker

Canmoor’s jobs figures were also thrown into doubt by fellow Haydock councillor Anthony Burns, cabinet member for public health, leisure and libraries.

Cllr Burns said: “We’re asked to believe that this is special circumstances.

“We’re asked to believe that this is urgent, but I’m not that convinced to be fair, I’m really not that convinced.”

Cllr Burns said he could not support the application because in his view, it “doesn’t add up”.

“On balance I think it does more harm than good,” Cllr Burns said.

“I don’t think we can trust the jobs assessment. The traffic assessment just doesn’t convince me.

“And the negatives outweigh the positives, in my view.”

Thatto Heath councillor Richard McCauley, cabinet member for economic regeneration and housing, said he was “as disappointed as anybody” when he saw Amazon’s job figures.

However, he highlighted that there are 2,900 people in St Helens on the unemployment register and 26,000 who are economically inactive.

Cllr McCauley said the council has a “duty” to support those people and said he would support the application.

Melanie Hale, the council’s service manager for development, said the council has assessed the estimated jobs figures, using government methodology, and concluded they are “reasonable”.

Following several references to the Florida Farm development, Ms Hale, reminded members that the application must be viewed on its own merits.

She said the Florida Farm development has not set a “precedent” for green belt development.

An artist's impression of the Florida Farm development

Cllr McCauley proposed a motion to approve the plans, subject to conditions. This motion was defeated by eight votes to three.

A second motion asking for the committee to reject the plans on the grounds that it did not meet the special circumstances required to build on green belt land.

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This motion, which was proposed by Labour’s Gill Neal, was passed after eight members voted in favour, with three voting against, meaning the application was rejected.

Cllr van der Burg did not vote as he said he had already “predetermined” the decision.