Petition by Lynn Bellard - https://www.change.org/p/protect-our-greenbelt-in-warrington?source_location=topic_page Warrington Borough Council developed and published their Local Plan in 2014 based on population growth statistics at that time, these figures are now substantially out of date. 55 Councils across the UK have now abandoned their local plans as The Homes & Communities Agency confirmed that housing targets are a guide and not mandatory. Warrington Borough Councils plan includes removing large areas of Greenbelt Land all over the Borough for housing developments and business parks. All areas will be affected; Appleton, Appleton Thorn, Stretton, Grappenhall, Thelwall, Lymm, Croft and Culcheth for housing developments. New roads will be punched through existing areas to access the new housing estates, for example through Grappenhall Sports Club across the Bridgewater Canal, affecting Stockton Heath and Stockton Lane. Another road is planned across fields at the back of Stretton towards the M56. These areas are all currently green fields, sports fields and wildlife habitats. All of these areas have new housing stock built in the last 10 years, surely enough Greenbelt has been lost already. There are enough brownfield sites across Warrington for thousands of houses without having to dig up Greenbelt. The Greenbelt areas are the 'Green Lungs' of Warrington, the trees and plants store carbon and clean the air we breathe. The people of Warrington are now saying 'NO' to losing any more Greenbelt. Our elected representatives need to listen to us. During Covid we all learned how important fresh air and open space is to our survival.
