CONCERNS are growing around plans for 1,200 to be built at Peel Hall, with dozens of residents having already objected to the development.

Residents have expressed worries over traffic and the impact upon health and education services as a result of the proposed Peel Hall development, which would also see a supermarket, restaurants and takeaways built on the former farmland in Houghton Green.

More than 30 written objections to the scheme have been sent to Warrington Borough Council’s planning department in the two weeks since an outline planning application was submitted.

Margaret Sheen has been a long-term opponent to the plans and has campaigned against developments at Peel Hall for many years.

She highlighted that a major access point to the development would cut through playing fields on Mill Lane – but the land has not yet been offered to developers Satnam, while Warrington Borough Council is in the process of negotiating a lease to take over responsibility for the fields.

Ms Sheen said: “The fields are owned by the Homes and Communities Agency who have confirmed to me that the fields have not been offered for sale to Satnam.

“I highlighted this during a previous application and the Homes and Communities Agency have confirmed last week that they are in the process of signing a seven-year lease with Warrington Borough Council, who will take over responsibility for the fields.

“The lease needs to be signed by the council as a matter of urgency and Cllr John Kerr-Brown is finding out when this will take place.”

Residents fear that hundreds of extra cars will travel through areas like Winwick and Cinnamon Brow in order to gain access to the motorways, with worries that a second major access point could be created through Poplars Avenue in order to link the development directly to the A49.

Ms Sheen also had concerns over the impact on health and education amenities.

She added: “The proposal is to build 1,200 new homes over a 12-year period but the new proposed primary school won’t be built until the development is in its ninth year.

“Local primary schools are already oversubscribed – with an estimated 360 new primary school places needed for this development alone the local education authority will not be able to cope with this demand.

“In addition, there is no proposal for new medical facilities – local people are already struggling for doctor’s appointments and this proposed development would add a further 3,000 residents needing local services.”