PROPOSALS to build houses at Peel Hall are a ‘zombie scheme that will not die’, a public inquiry has heard.

A second inquiry into plans to construct 1,200 homes on the Houghton Green site resumed last week.

Today, Thursday, planning and environmental consultant Peter Black, representing the Save Peel Hall campaign group, addressed the panel.

And he compared developers’ long-held ambitions to create housing on the plot to a zombie that cannot be killed, and called on the help of comedic actor Simon Pegg in defeating the scheme – a reference to his 2004 film Shaun of the Dead, in which he battles hordes of the undead.

Mr Black told the inquiry: “This is the zombie scheme that will not die.

“Struck down many times on valid planning grounds over 30 years, it always comes back to life – we need Simon Pegg.

“An acceptable scheme has never been proposed, and my conclusion is that the site should be considered not only undeliverable in the short term – which it clearly is – but undevelopable for speculative, low density, car-dependent development.

“Part could be developed for more sustainable housing or other uses.

“The Covid-19 pandemic and the urgent reality of climate change means an alternative to urban sprawl is essential.

“But this inquiry can only determine the proposal in front of it, and the planning balance suggests refusal.”

Concerns raised by Mr Black included the potential negative impact of the scheme on roads, noise, air quality, wildlife and flooding.

He said: “The applicant suggests that 1,200 houses would be a significant benefit.

“But if they are either the wrong houses or in the wrong place, they will be an albatross around the neck of sustainability for the next 100 years.

“This inquiry is an historic turning point for Warrington.”

He added: “This really is the zombie scheme from hell.

“Residents feel trapped in the film set of Shaun of the Dead, in the pub and assailed on all sides by a rogue developer and a council that still has not had a grown-up debate with the community about how to deal with Peel Hall.

“It is high time that this process started.

“I consider that the harm to the impact on the local and strategic transport network alone would justify refusal, but that the range of other issues where there are disbenefits significantly and demonstrably outweigh any benefits of granting permission.”

Satnam’s latest application for planning permission was refused by Warrington Borough Council’s development management committee in 2017.

An appeal was dismissed by the Secretary of State the following year, but this decision was then quashed by the High Court in October 2019.

The second public enquiry began in September but was adjourned after just over a week, before resuming earlier this month.