WARRINGTON Borough Council says it is satisfied that ‘due process was followed’ following a review into the meeting where plans for a distribution hub on green belt land were approved.

Developers Langtree and Panattoni submitted blueprints proposing the major employment site, which will be named Six 56 Warrington, on land next to junction 20 of the M6 and junction nine of the M56 in Lymm.

A complaint was made over the procedure that was carried out at the development management committee meeting back in March, which saw the committee approve the scheme subject to the secretary of state not wishing to intervene.

The complaint related to the substitution of some of the Labour committee members for three other Labour councillors, and claimed the meeting was not in accordance with the council’s constitution.

In May, it was confirmed that the Six56 project was set to go ahead after the secretary of state decided not to call in the plans.

However, in June it was reported that plans for the scheme could be called in for review after all.

The council was ‘directed not to grant permission on the application’ to ‘enable the secretary of state to consider whether he should direct it be referred to him for determination’.

The letter was sent to the council by the planning casework unit for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The council has confirmed the review into the complaint has concluded.

A spokesman said: “Stage three reviews, in line with the council’s complaints policy, are reviews of how complaints are handled and are not reviews of complaints themselves. The complainants have now received responses from the council regarding the matter.

“In this case and upon further comprehensive review, we are satisfied that due process was followed and that the complaints were handled appropriately. We consider that the matter is now concluded.”