Gypsy site 'a threat to future of Ellesmere Port'

THE COMPANY behind multi-million-pound plans to regenerate Ellesmere Port has called on the council to scrap ‘inappropriate’ Gypsy site proposals.

But – despite receiving 325 objections – Cheshire West and Chester Council’s strategic planning committee looks set to approve the application during a crunch meeting at the Civic Hall tomorrow.

Peel Land and Property has worked closely with Ellesmere Port Development Board in a bid to turn the town’s quays into a bustling tourist hub.

The proposed 12-pitch site on Rossfield Road, Overpool, would be just metres from Rossfield Park – a site earmarked by Peel for more than 1,000 new homes.

In a letter sent to planning officers in December, development planning manager David Thompson said the plans threatened to ‘harm investment prospects’ in the town.

He wrote: “Peel has been working with the council (including the predecessor authority) on the Rossfield Park area for circa 10 years.

“Having reviewed a number of submissions made to the council, it is clear that the perception is that the proposal may harm the regeneration prospects for the area.

“A perception can in itself harm investment prospects by undermining investor confidence and this is a practical cause for concern.”

Bellway Homes, developer of Rivacre Village, off Netherpool Road, also called on the council to refuse the application.

Writing to the council yesterday, planning manager Simon Artiss said: “We were not formally notified by the local planning authority (LPA) of this application but were informed by a local resident.

“Our experience of sales at Rivacre Village is that potential buyers will be put off by the proposed development close to their new home, at a time when other obstacles […] are also harming the regeneration effort here.”

A spokesman confirmed the company’s planning manager will be attending tomorrow’s meeting.

Ellesmere Port councillor Justin Madders, a member of the development board, said: “No business is going to want to invest on a sustained basis if they don’t have assurance things aren’t going to change.”

Residents committee head Glen Higgins, who has so far collected 863 signatures opposing the plans, said he planned to speak at tomorrow’s meeting.

He said: “I have had people in tears saying they don’t know what to do.”

Council spokeswoman Laura Johnson said no representative from either Bellway Homes or Peel Land and Property had so far registered to speak at the meeting.