A FARM in Penketh has submitted new plans for a shop after the council threw out its previous proposals.

Holly's Farm, off Tannery Lane, is eyeing up a new farm shop as it has resubmitted plans to demolish the current store on the farm's site.

The new plans take issue with a number of explanations for the prior proposal's refusal.

As with prior proposals, the new plans are requesting permission to demolish the current farm shop and build a new one in its place.

The council's planning portal highlights that the proposals cover: "[The] demolition of existing farm shop and proposed new farm shop with associated storage, disabled toilet and car parking."

Originally, plans were submitted to the council for the demolition of the current shop in the summer of 2022.

In July 2023, the council slapped down the plans, giving the following reasons:

  • The proposal would result in inappropriate development, which is by definition harmful to the Green Belt and would furthermore detract from its openness and conflict with the purposes of including land in the Green Belt. No very special circumstances exist to outweigh the harm caused and as such, the proposal is contrary to Policy CS1 and CS5 of the Warrington Local Plan Core Strategy, national policy set out in the NPPF.
  • The proposed development, by virtue of it scale, including the introduction of new built forms, car park and associated surfacing would result in an increase in intensification of the site and consequent urbanisation which would detract from the open landscape and visual amenity of the area, contrary to Policies CC2 and QE7 of the Warrington Local Plan Core Strategy.
  • The proposed development introduces a retail use outside a defined local centre and it has not been demonstrated that there are no suitable sites available within or on the edge of the centre. As such the proposal conflicts with Policy SN5 of the Warrington Local Plan Core Strategy.

The applicants have taken issue with the objections that planning officers raised, and have disputed these explanations within the new application.

However, some adjustments have been made in the newest application, which involves rotating the proposed new shop.

These plans were validated on December 22, and a council decision is due by February 16, 2024.