WARRINGTON Borough Council’s leader has described Fiddlers Ferry as an ‘interesting’ site – and says it will be ‘good for people to move into it when it’s up and running’.

A Fiddlers Ferry development framework (DF) was agreed by the council’s cabinet at its meeting on Monday – with up to 860 homes and employment land planned for the huge site.

A report to cabinet stated that the DF is required by ‘policy MD3’ of Warrington’s adopted Local Plan as part of the site allocation.

According to the report, the DF has been produced as a developer-led document and the cost of the work associated with this has been met by the landowner, Peel NRE.

It has been drafted by the landowner, in consultation with council officers, and has been through a consultation exercise with members of the public, ward members and parish councils, as well as stakeholders – and it has been amended following consultation.

The adopted Local Plan – which covers the period 2021-22 to 2038-39 – allocates land at the former Fiddlers Ferry power station site for a sustainable mixed-use development.

The power station closed in March 2020.

The report said the site comprises a total of 324ha – and that the part of the site which housed the former power station is the ‘largest brownfield site’ in the borough, while the lagoons remain within the green belt.

“Policy MD3 allocates the site to deliver a minimum of 860 homes and approximately 101 ha of employment land in the plan period as well as parkland and recreation areas,” said the report.

Policy MD3 includes detailed site specific requirements for the development of the site.

These include up to 860 new homes including a minimum of 30 per cent affordable provision, 101 ha of employment land allocated for distribution and industrial uses and for low carbon energy projects, a new one-form entry primary school, a new local centre, specification and delivery of flexible space for a satellite GP surgery to be agreed with NHS, provision of a network of multi-functional green spaces, and transport and accessibility improvements.

Council leader Cllr Hans Mundry highlighted the importance of the Local Plan, which was adopted in December.

“The site looks interesting, and it’ll be good for people to move into it when it’s up and running, with many benefits they probably wouldn’t have had without that Local Plan being in place” he said.

According to the report, the infrastructure delivery strategy (IDS) accompanies the DF and includes details on ‘phasing, delivery triggers and delivery responsibilities’ for the infrastructure required to support the site allocation.

As recommended, the cabinet agreed the proposed development framework – including the spatial masterplan – and the IDS, that will then be a ‘material consideration’ in the determination of planning applications for the site.

Furthermore, as recommended, members also authorised the director of growth, in consultation with the cabinet member for housing services and licensing, to make ‘any further necessary amendments’ to the DF that ‘do not materially affect’ the content of the DF, prior to its final publication.