A ‘HYPOCRITICAL’ motion calling for green belt to be protected has been rejected after a suggestion that it intended to ‘throw all housing’ in the town centre instead of Warrington South.

The motion, put forward by the Conservatives, proposed for the Labour-run council to agree to focus its efforts on addressing the shortage of affordable housing for residents, through renewed efforts to utilise brownfield sites and a focus on the regeneration of the town centre, while avoiding the use of green belt ‘at all costs’.

Cllr Ken Critchley (CON – Appleton), who proposed it, said Warrington has an ‘opportunity to invest creatively’, rather than taking the apparently easier option of allowing development on the green belt.

Cllr Joshua Dixon (CON – Rixton and Woolston), who seconded it, urged members to protect the green belt as ‘once it’s gone, it’s gone’.

The proposals in the draft local plan set out the legal planning framework for development in the town over the next two decades and put forward proposals for 18,900 new homes – or 945 a year – up until 2037.

But there was widespread anger after more than 7,000 homes were controversially earmarked for green belt land in the draft

Cllr Steve Parish (LAB – Chapelford and Old Hall) told members that councils can’t fulfil the Government’s housing without a small reduction in the green belt.

Cllr Ryan Bate (LD – Grappenhall) also expressed concerns about the matter.

He said: “I think this motion intends to show concern about affordable housing and green belt but it lacks any serious policy proposals to achieve either of those objectives.”

Meanwhile, former council leader Cllr Ian Marks (LD – Lymm North and Thelwall) said he thinks it is hypocritical for the Conservatives to put forward this motion when it’s their Government that is proposed planning reforms that are undemocratic.

Cllr Hitesh Patel (LAB – Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall), cabinet member for environment, housing and public protection, said the council is already prioritising developments on brownfield land and highlighted that regeneration scheme Time Square is ‘game-changing’ for the town centre.

Council leader Cllr Russ Bowden (LAB – Birchwood) said local authorities have many difficult duties including delivering a local plan, which he described as ‘one of the toughest things you can do as an administration’.

He also highlighted the council’s affordability targets and said the motion looks like ‘keep away from Warrington South and throw all the housing in the town centre’, which is not ‘in the best interests of Warrington in any way whatsoever’.

Cllr Critchley said the council does not need to have a 20-year local plan.

He added that the authority has an opportunity to make the local plan focused on development on brownfield land, as he urged it to take that opportunity and build affordable homes and ‘do not destroy the Warrington that we have today’.