WARRINGTON Borough Council's leader has promised that none of the 24,000 homes required by 2037 will be built until the infrastructure is in place.

The council's executive board unanimously approved the borough's local plan 'preferred development option' (PDO) at its Town Hall meeting on Monday.

The local plan needs to allocate sufficient land for approximately 24,000 new homes and 381 hectares of employment land to meet Warrington's development needs and 'support its new city aspirations'.

Detailed work carried out by the authority has found that it is possible to deliver approximately 15,000 new homes and 129 hectares of employment land in existing urban areas.

It means that land will also need to be released from the green belt to deliver around 9,000 new homes and 252 hectares for employment by 2037.

Following executive board approval, an eight-week public consultation on the PDO will begin on Tuesday.

Council leader Cllr Terry O'Neill said: "This is only the first stage of a long journey, we will get feedback and go through the process.

"If we take it through then there will be an examination in public.

"There is a lot of time for people to get involved.

"We have to be our own masters – if we don't have a plan then the Government will step in and decide for us.

"We need to make sure we get rid of the blight of congestion and gridlock – and get rid of it for good.

"We will make the decisions about the infrastructure that are needed and we will have the capabilities of controlling our own business in Warrington.

"We want to get the uplift in value of the land to invest in Warrington.

"Before one single house is built we will put the infrastructure in before – that is a promise I say to everyone involved.

"We will be in control of our own destiny, what we need to do is get our hands on the money and put it in Warrington."

Cllr Judith Guthrie, executive board member for environment and public protection, was praised for her report to members.

She said: "This document is the first step in our journey to ensure Warrington grows and flourishes over the next 20 years.

"This is about looking at the next 20 years and how we develop."

Following pressure from the Liberal Democrats, parish councils will have until the end of September to submit their views during the consultation period.