TOWN Hall bosses have been accused of ‘acting against the will’ of residents after prioritising ambitious growth plans – with more than 7,000 homes earmarked for green belt land.

The 20-year draft local plan – which is aimed at delivering the homes, jobs, transport infrastructure and community facilities the borough requires – will be considered by the executive board on Monday.

The draft aims to deliver 18,900 new homes, or 945 a year, up until 2037.

However, a 10 per cent ‘flexibility uplift’ has also been factored in to allow for ‘market choice’, as well as for the event where sites are not delivered.

Therefore, the draft document sets out proposals for 20,790 homes – with green belt earmarked for 7,064 properties.

Green belt land would also be required for around 213 hectares of employment land.

If the draft is approved by the executive board on Monday, it will be submitted to full council for approval on March 25.

Full council approval would pave the way to an eight-week formal public consultation in the spring – with Town Hall chiefs tipping the local plan to be adopted in late 2020.

Council leader Cllr Russ Bowden says by using the Government’s minimum housing needs calculation, ‘we have no option’ but to release some green belt land for development.

But Canaries on Tour campaigners Helen Gurnani and Tanya Baker – who are campaigning to protect sites across the borough from development – have slammed the draft document.

They said: “It appears that not much has changed to prioritise protecting our green spaces and environment over enforced expansion and economic growth inducement at any cost for developer benefit – and as a desperate means to mitigate against the central Government austerity agenda.

“Warrington Borough Council (WBC) is continuing to act against the will of the people and tick procedural boxes, instead of actually allowing genuine change to their plans for us.

“4,000 plus people made their feelings known to WBC and at the eleventh hour they are responding but not to provide social housing, which is the greatest need, and also persisting with a road for the benefit of Peel Holdings – and we know the regard Peel have for the people of Warrington.

“We will continue to draw attention to these issues and we urge people not only to engage with the interactions WBC are providing, but to join together with us and groups from across the town at protests and make them listen.”

Cllr Bowden says the authority needs to make sure residents, in particular young people, have access to affordable housing.

Earlier this week, he added: “That’s why we’re proposing that 20 per cent of homes built in inner Warrington, and 30 per cent elsewhere in the borough, will be affordable.”

Andy Farrall, executive director for economic regeneration, growth and environment, says although the council can set requirements for affordable homes in a local plan, it can’t stipulate social housing in it.

A protest against the proposals will take place at the Town Hall from 6pm on Monday ahead of the executive board meeting, with another protest planned for 6pm before the full council meeting on March 25.