RSWF – “Rethinking South Warrington’s Future”

In July 2017 Warrington Borough Council (WBC) published and consulted on their Preferred Development Option (PDO) and following public interest the consultation period was extended to the end of October 2017. Due to the level of public responses and the recent Government revised National Planning Policy Framework and National Statistics regarding latest population projections, WBC have recently announced that the draft Local Plan will not be ready until the end of 2018.

During the period of consultation a number of individual local Residents Groups were set up with the aim of supporting local residents in their understanding of the specific aspects of the PDO that could effect their local areas and assisting residents in constructing their opposition. Additionally many of these local Resident Groups engaged professional advisers to produce a response to WBC. As a result, over 4,500 responses were sent into the WBC with the vast majority completely rejecting the PDO vision and content, especially in relation to the significant detrimental impact the plan would have on the South Warrington communities, its ecology and greenbelt space. It is worth noting that all Parish Councils in South Warrington opposed the PDO.

It became evident that a more consolidated and coordinated approach was required in the future to challenge the WBC PDO/draft Local Plan.

Therefore towards the end of 2017, a new non-profit co-ordination Group called Rethinking South Warrington’s Future (RSWF)

They are officially launching on Saturday 22nd September in Stockton Heath to help ALL residents of South Warrington get a fair planning and development outcome. The Parish Councils across South Warrington have come together and are coordinating their efforts to support residents with a joined-up response to the PDO (preferred Development Option)

The RSWF Group will endeavor to ensure there is a more collective and coordinated response to the next stage in the WBC Local Plan process and there is a greater alignment between local residents groups, Parish Councils, Key stakeholders and local residents in that endeavor.

There are a number of ways in which the RSWF Group can be contacted: