Cheshire: Residents outraged over planning application

Trident Business Park, in Risley, is just minutes away from the heart of Birchwood, and can be found on Daten Avenue, off Warrington Road.

Now, residents of Warrington Road have spoken of their fears over the latest planning application in this battle that has continued since December 2021.

Residents have set up banners opposing the development (Image: Newsquest)

The residents have asked not to be named, but spoke about their worries regarding the proposed development of the business park.

"This has no place in the heart of a village, it's just not a logical mix," the residents said, discussing the nature of the new warehousing complex that is being planned - it is set to have operations running 24 hours, seven days per week.

The residents added: "They're trying to cram everything in here, and Risley - one of Warrington's oldest communities - is slowly being eradicated."

According to Warrington Borough Council's online planning portal, the new application is an amended version of the original plans, which would see a warehouse erected behind the properties on Warrington Road - which is a weight-restricted road already.

A mock-up shows how the development would look behind the current buildings - from a pedestrian view (Image: St Modwen Logistics)

The road would see HGVs use it as a way into the business park, and the residents claim that calling the construction a 'warehouse' is misleading, as it is in fact a distribution centre.

They added: "We have a legal 'right to light' - if this centre was built, then no sun will be hitting our houses at all.

"We've had an architect look at the plans, and we would get no sunlight at all."

The residents then said: "The amended plans include increased landscaping, which is welcome, but it's entirely cosmetic; they'll be removing seven trees with protection orders on them, silver birch and oak trees."

Banners have since been erected on Warrington Road by the residents, encouraging the community to stand together against the Trident Business Park development plans - Birchwood Town Council voted unanimously to oppose the development, citing the residents' fears as a contributing factor to this decision.

During the meeting between residents and the Warrington Guardian, the residents said: "This is not just Risley; it's Birchwood, and the whole of Warrington east, too.

"We are not a load of 'not in my backyard' types.

"We know that development happens, but you cannot put a massive, major centre in the heart of Birchwood."

From the first-floor bedroom, the proposed development would be more visible behind the garages (Image: Newsquest)

In November, the developers - St Modwen Logistics - met with members of the community who would be impacted by the development, but the residents say this was less than satisfactory.

"St Modwen opened the meeting by accepting that they did not communicate effectively with the residents - we were told not to take minutes of the meeting, and we've been asking for those minutes ever since.

"For them to say they have engaged with the residents is stretching it a lot."

Putting the scale of the development into perspective, the residents have claimed that the plans suggest a new construction at the site would be two-thirds the size of Warrington's Amazon distribution centre.

In the meeting, residents asked St Modwen about the possibility of reducing the operating hours, and 'it was an emphatic no.'

The residents added: "The indication was that the operations would not cease even for Christmas and bank holidays."

The development would impact the highlighted land (Image: St Modwen Logistics)

A spokesperson from St Modwen Logistics referred the Warrington Guardian to a previous statement issued: "Following extensive engagement with local residents, councillors and occupiers late last year, St. Modwen has submitted revised redevelopment plans for Trident Business Park, including softening the design, reducing the height, and bolstering our landscaping plans.

"Our plans for Trident Business Park will transform the outdated parts of the site into a modern, sustainable business park fit for the future, creating employment opportunities and substantial economic growth for the local area.”