Calls to protect Green Belt farmland from St Helens and Warrington road proposal

A proposal by St Helens Council for a road linking vast swathes of countryside and the former Parkside Colliery site sees CPRE Cheshire and Lancashire unite with local residents to protect vital farmland in the Green Belt.

CPRE Cheshire and Lancashire are united with local residents’ groups in battling plans by St Helens Council for a road linking vast swathes of countryside and the former Parkside Colliery site.

Vital brownfield site for strategic rail freight infrastructure

We support the aim to bring forward the brownfield part of the site as identified for regionally important strategic rail freight infrastructure; this development would lead to more sustainable transport by taking freight off our road network. However, constructing the proposed road on agricultural land would be very damaging and we strongly oppose it.

Parkside Colliery ceased production in 1993, and the link road has been proposed as part of a project to transform the site into a new employment park. CPRE Lancashire supports the development of brownfield land, but much of this site is either greenfield or Green Belt. The proposed new link road, which would link vast swathes of countryside and the former Parkside Colliery site, would open up land in the Green Belt for development, rather than the relatively small brownfield site created by the closure of the colliery.

Harm to local landscapes and environment

Local landscape and environment would also be harmed, with light and noise pollution impacts, loss of tranquility, loss of wildlife habitats and harm to the rural setting being a consequence of the link road development.

Download our letters below to read CPRE’s full reasons for objection to this proposal.

CPRE objection to link road: Warrington

CPRE objection to link road: St. Helens