Halton Borough Council poised to approve plans for three housing estates in North Widnes

Mar 10 2010 by Adrian Short, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

PLANNING chiefs look poised to approve three separate applications which could see more than 100 new homes built in northern Widnes.

Halton council’s development control committee meets on Monday to discuss plans for three new housing estates – one of which would be built on green belt land previously occupied by asbestos-ridden buildings.

The first application is for 74 homes on greenfield land off St Aidan’s Drive, Farnworth, situated between existing developments accessed from Norland’s Lane and Wilmere Lane playing fields.

The development would include 52 three bedroom and 22 four bedroom two-storey

houses, with 46 having individual garages.

The plans also include the provision of 0.14 hectares of on-site public open space and landscaping.

The second planning application is for 26 three, four, and five bedroom homes on Hanging Birches Farm behind Norland’s Lane and Cronton Lane.

The third application is for 18 houses, garages and private access on green belt land on the site of the old asbestos-ridden Dawson’s Dance Studio on Lunt’s Heath Road.

A report to the committee says that building on green belt land – which is intended to protect the countryside from overdevelopment – would be permitted because it would allow the clean-up of land at the site.

The report said: “All of the buildings had been constructed of asbestos cement sheeting.

“In addition to the asbestos cement sheeting, roofing materials and rainwater goods, higher risk asbestos insulation boards and lagging materials were present throughout the buildings.

“The building was deteriorating with age and would have required further maintenance.

“The removal of this building was based on the approval of a housing permission.

“The costs of remediation of the site is unlikely to be met by appropriate green belt uses, such as a sports club, or riding stables.”

All three planning applications are recommended for approval with conditions.