Winnington Works

Tata Chemicals Europe (TCE) and INOVYN Enterprises Limited (INOVYN), in partnership with Gladman Developments Ltd (Gladman), are bringing forward proposals to redevelop the former Winnington Works in Northwich, with a mixed-use development comprising of approximately 1,500 new homes, employment, public open space and a primary school, along with a range of other community facilities.

The site has been identified for regeneration in Cheshire West & Chester Council’s adopted Local Plan. The plans respond directly to this and present an opportunity to regenerate this brownfield site

Our plans have been designed with a strong place-making and community focus. The development incorporates a range of quality community facilities for use by existing and future residents. This includes space for a primary school and other facilities including local shops, cafes, restaurants, and small-scale local businesses, all of which will be accessible to surrounding communities. The Local Authority will also establish if further financial contributions are required to support local services, such as GP surgeries. Such discussions often result in councils and developers agreeing to Section 106 packages. This is when developers provide funding to the Council to fund any necessary work to existing infrastructure or services, or sometimes funds the delivery of new schools, roads, or medical centres. The Local Authority would make the final decision on where such funds are invested.

The Development Brief is a policy requirement from the Local Plan. It will be agreed with the Council and then be used to ensure that the qualities set out within the outline planning application are maintained by housebuilders through their more detailed planning submission in the future. Gladman are also welcoming views on the draft Development Brief document as part of the consultation process. This will also aid the development process, by allowing developers to submit informed proposals that respond to the Council’s expectations for the site in line with policy N2.B of the adopted Local Plan. 

An outline planning application represents the 1^st stage of the planning process and is followed by more detailed submissions by housebuilders for their respective parts of the site. There will a period when planning conditions need to be satisfied before work on site to commence and then this would be expected to be on a phase-by-phase basis. Following the planning processes, work on site would commence with an earthworks exercise and remediation, prior to the start of site infrastructure and the construction of dwellings. The first completion of dwellings would not be until after 2025.

Typically, the planning application would dictate that serviced site is provided early in the project development and then financial a contribution has to be made towards the construction of the new school. The education authority has also identified that they would be happy for the school to be constructed as part of the development. The number of dwellings proposed requires that a 1.5FE (315 pupils) school is provided on site and this will be a requirement of a legal planning agreement (S.106). Typically, these include clauses that prevent the occupation of a set number of dwellings before a serviced school site is provided to allow them to start construction.

The size of the school site that is being provided is large enough to accommodate a future expansion of the school to 2FE (420 pupils).

Gladman and the landowners will have to sign the S.106, which is a legal document. That typically includes restrictions on the amount of development that can come forward before the necessary contributions are made. In addition to the S.106, further obligations will be placed on housebuilders when they purchase the site to ensure compliance. Gladman and the landowners will remain involved throughout the project.

For this type of development, it is usual for a management company to be set up and all the new residents contribute to the maintenance of these areas and will have involvement within that process. This self-regulation ensures that the quality of these spaces are maintained for the enjoyment of all.

We are preparing an outline planning application, which will fix key parameters for the development and establish key principles through the Development Brief. Once parts of the site are then sold, housebuilders will submit the full details for each phase of the development, and these will also be the subject of consultation. Those details will have to be prepared in accordance with the details agreed as part of the outline and the guidelines within the development brief.

There are a number of areas of the site where we are proposing a range of uses that could include a new surgery. However, it is the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) who would decide whether a new surgery is required or whether contributions are necessary for the expansion of existing facilities and this will be included within their response to the planning application.