Local Plan Issues and Options (Regulation 18)

Comment

Representation ID: 15311

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Peel NRE Limited

Agent: Turley

I&O_15870
Growth Option EP04 is supported by Peel. The opportunities and benefits of this site are demonstrated in Section 6 of this representation. The spatial option taken forward by CWAC should proactively and positively work to grasp and accommodate the opportunities and significant benefits the allocation of this site within the Local Plan would bring for economic growth, job creation, and addressing climate change. However, as is demonstrated in Section 4, additional land will be required to meet the needs of the borough beyond those identified to date. Land presented in this representation can help the borough meet its needs and objectives.

Comment

Representation ID: 15312

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Peel NRE Limited

Agent: Turley

I&O_15871
As is demonstrated and evidenced in Section 4, additional land will be required around Ellesmere Port to meet the needs of the borough beyond those identified to date. There is a clear indication from CWACs own evidence (ENA 2025) that there is a need for additional land to accommodate proposals for decarbonisation-related / specialist developments that are not included as part of the overall employment land supply, and that this should be focussed within and surrounding Ellesmere Port. This is reflective of its status within the borough as the industrial heartland, but that supply is clearly constrained. A range of sites should be provided, to cater for different needs. Land promoted in this representation at Sections 5 - 12 can help the borough meet its needs and objectives. The sites offer specific characteristics that are likely to appeal to a variety of uses not captured by traditional employment uses, such as large energy intensive industrial uses, and uses that will directly benefit from the site's location and those characteristics, such as being large-scale, flat, and in close proximity to potential multi-modal connections (rail, road and canal), and its proximity to existing and planned infrastructure including utilities, the HyNet pipelines, electricity connections etc. Proximity to the existing Protos development, as well as other significant industrial and employment uses in the area. Such land provides opportunities to cluster like developments together to create synergies and utilise infrastructure provision. The emerging Local Plan should proactively and positively work to grasp and accommodate the opportunities and significant benefits the allocation of these sites within the Local Plan around Ellesmere Port would bring for economic growth, job retention and creation, and addressing climate change.

Comment

Representation ID: 15313

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Peel NRE Limited

Agent: Turley

I&O_15872
The area will be host to a range of innovative and world-leading and nationally critical infrastructure to transition to net zero (as described at Section 2) – very few places benefit from proximity to such infrastructure. The area has unique attributes and characteristics including its proximity to potential multi-modal connections (rail, road and canal), and its proximity to existing and planning infrastructure including utilities, the HyNet pipelines, hydrogen production plants, electricity connections etc. It is acknowledged there are some environmental constraints to the area – in particular the proximity to the Mersey Estuary Ramsar Site, SPA and SSSI, and the risk of flooding. Further assessment work is proposed to understand these constraints further; however it is anticipated the area is capable of accommodating significant development, based on the experience of delivering Protos and Frodsham Windfarm.

Comment

Representation ID: 15314

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Peel NRE Limited

Agent: Turley

I&O_15873
Peel supports the identification of ELT01 – further details are provided at Section 10. The emerging Local Plan should proactively and positively work to grasp and accommodate the opportunities and benefits of land at Station Road in any Growth Option within the Local Plan recognising the contributions it would bring towards economic growth and job creation.

Comment

Representation ID: 15315

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Peel NRE Limited

Agent: Turley

I&O_15874
No further comments

Comment

Representation ID: 15316

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Peel NRE Limited

Agent: Turley

I&O_15875
No further comments

Comment

Representation ID: 15317

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Peel NRE Limited

Agent: Turley

I&O_15876
Peel supports this policy in principle – in particular the area’s potential to deliver substantial economic growth, through continued and new investment in the ORIGIN area and the reuse/redevelopment of vacant or redundant sites. However, as is recognised in the Council’s own evidence base and as is demonstrated within these representations, additional land is likely to be required to meet the needs of the borough, and the policy should be reflective of the opportunities and benefits that the land promoted through this representation can provide through the unique opportunity to cluster such developments together focused around existing and planned industries and infrastructure. Additionally, flexibility is required in the emerging policy to ensure development opportunities can respond to technological advancements in this sector.

Comment

Representation ID: 15318

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Peel NRE Limited

Agent: Turley

I&O_15877
The land at CF Fertilisers has been acquired by Peel NRE, and is available and suitable for redevelopment / regeneration opportunities. Further details are presented at Section 7 of this representation. The Council should undertake an evidenced-based appraisal of the genuine availability, suitability and viability of PDL land within Ellesmere Port to identify land that can come forward unconstrained. Some land within the area e.g. at Stanlow has always been said to have capacity, and yet it is highly constrained in reality which could reduce its prospects for coming forward for redevelopment during the Plan period. Notwithstanding this, and as Peel demonstrates in this representation, and as evidenced in CWACs ENA 2025, the needs of the borough cannot be fully met through the development of previously developed land (including within and surrounding Ellesmere Port), and greenfield and Green Belt release will be required to meet needs of the borough.

Comment

Representation ID: 15319

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Peel NRE Limited

Agent: Turley

I&O_15878
In principle Peel supports this policy but seeks flexibility to ensure that other uses that can benefit from the synergies that Protos can offer including its access to unique nationally significant infrastructure is not fettered. A detailed response to this policy question can be found at Section 5.

Comment

Representation ID: 15320

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Peel NRE Limited

Agent: Turley

I&O_15879
Peel generally supports this policy but proposes some amendments. A detailed response to this policy question can be found at Section 5.