Green light for Greenalls? (From Warrington Guardian)

Green light for Greenalls?

10:37am Tuesday 6th March 2007

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GREENALLS housing plan looks set to be recommended for approval when it appears before the planning committee on March 14.

The scheme for 250 to 300 homes has been judged to meet the council's housing policy.

The council's planners think the sweeteners' it has secured from Greenalls through legal agreements make the deal exceptional enough to be worthwhile.

The sweeteners' Greenalls will provide include:

* Keeping 83 distillery jobs in Warrington by moving to Risley

* Making 20 properties affordable homes

* Paying £150,000 towards recreation facilities

* Paying £50,000 toward health facilities

* Donating Latchford sidings to the council for 99 years as a prospective green space.

A council housing report into the scheme said: "It is considered that the significant contribution to meeting the need for affordable social rented family housing at a sustainable location, coupled with the exceptional circumstances that have arisen as a result of the fire, are facts that should weigh heavily in favour of supporting the developer."

The traffic department thinks the traffic increase would be grounds for objection if measured against the distillery's current level of use - though legal advice is that it should be measured against its traditional level.

And the Environment Agency has strong concerns over flooding on the car park site opposite the main distillery.

The housing plan will pay part of the costs toward Greenalls relocation to Melbury Court.

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