The plans had been approved by the council but an inquiry will now take place
NewsMark Smith and Dan Haygarth Liverpool Daily Post Editor and Regeneration Reporter
15:54, 03 Jan 2025
A CGI showing how the Heath Park development could look(Image: Planning Documents)
The government could make a decision on plans to build more than 500 homes in the Liverpool City Region next month. Outline plans from the SOG Group to construct a new neighbourhood called Heath Park, consisting of 545 residential units, care facilities, a conference centre, offices and shops, at Runcorn’s Heath Business and Technical Park were approved by Halton Council in May 2024.
However, the plans were called for a public inquiry by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in September. A public notice in the Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News dated January 2 said the inquiry had been called over public safety concerns and will begin next month.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had objected to the plans but its concerns were dismissed by Halton planning bosses, with some accusing the HSE of “stoking fears” and using old data to model potential dangers. Even after the plans were approved by the council it remained in the HSE’s power to refer the plans to the secretary of state to decide whether they wanted to ‘call in’ the scheme and have the final say, which it has done.
In a statement provided last year to Derek Twigg in his former role of Halton MP (now Widnes and Halewood MP), it said: “HSE has decided to request the SoS to call in this application for their own determination as we have concluded that this is a case of exceptional concern. The development is at a very high risk in the event of major accident and exceeds a number of HSE’s call in factors.”
The plans for 545 homes include 59 senior living apartments, vertical farm, retail, office and leisure space and have been described by backers as a “modern day Port Sunlight”. But it had proven highly controversial with 700 objections being received and more than 150 residents attending the planning meeting where it was approved at Runcorn Town Hall.
In June, after the HSE referral, a spokesperson for SOG said: “Halton Borough Council’s development management committee voted unanimously to approve the outline planning application, and we are therefore naturally disappointed that the HSE are now pressing for the secretary of state to call in our application.
“SOG concur with statements made by councillors at the committee meeting who raised their own deep concerns about the risk assessment presented by the HSE, which is based on data that is 30 years out of date. We have also written to the HSE’s chief executive Sarah Albon to register our concerns regarding the conduct of her officials and their risk assessment process.”
The Public Inquiry is scheduled to be held by the Planning Inspectorate, beginning on February 4.