Story Homes says outcome paves way for ‘transformation’ of abandoned attraction

Controversial plans to build 350 homes on the former Camelot Theme Park site in Chorley have been given the go-ahead – 12 years after the first bid was made to redevelop the derelict site.

A government-appointed planning inspector approved the Story Homes scheme after chairing a public inquiry into the proposal earlier this month.

Andrew McGlone concluded that the development “would not be inappropriate” for its greenbelt location – judging that the Charnock Richard plot fell within a so-called ‘grey belt’ area.

However, his decision has prompted fury from local politicians who have branded it “utter nonsense” and “grotesque” – and warned that it will cause chaos on the roads.

Story Homes, meanwhile, said the outcome paved the way for “the transformation” of the abandoned attraction – which closed down in 2012, after 29 years in operation. The firm said the development would deliver “much-needed homes” – half of which will be discounted ‘affordable’ properties – along with almost £5m of financial contributions towards improving local infrastructure and services.

The housebuilder had twice been refused permission by Chorley Council for other visions for the site in 2014 and 2018, when it had put forward proposals for 420 and 195 homes respectively – the latter accompanied by office and workshop units.

It submitted a third blueprint for the former attraction last June. However, Chorley Council did not reach a decision on the proposal within the nationally-set 13-week time limit for doing so, blaming Lancashire County Council for a delay in providing highways advice. The hold-up meant Story Homes was able to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate to determine the application instead.

By the time the resultant three-day inquiry began, the county council had withdrawn an earlier objection it had to the scheme on road safety grounds.

Against that backdrop, Chorley Council told the hearing that it would have granted permission for the 25-hectare development – describing County Hall’s highways concerns as “the only outstanding issue”.

Nevertheless, the inspector still had to make a full assessment of the application – which includes a new community hub building – but it was left to Story Homes’ legal representative and expert witnesses to make the case for the development uncontested.

The firm set out a raft of arguments for why its proposal should be approved – with the plot’s greenbelt status being one of the main matters addressed during the inquiry.

However, as part of the consideration given to that issue, the inspector also had to judge whether the location was – or could be made – ‘sustainable’. That meant ensuring a “genuine choice” of transport options would be on offer in order to prevent new residents having to rely on cars to access key services.

It was Mr McGlone’s conclusions on that subject that have drawn particular anger from politicians representing the area.

In a report outlining the reasons for his approval of the scheme, the inspector acknowledged that the site was currently “not currently sustainable” – for reasons including the distance between the proposed development and essential facilities, the frequency of bus services in the area and the speed of vehicles on Park Hall Road and the width of its footpath, which would make both cycling and walking unattractive.

However, Mr. McGlone found that those issues could be addressed by the package of mitigation measures proposed as part of the development. They include a road safety upgrade on Park Hall Road to reduce traffic speed; improvements to the junctions of Park Hall Road and Wood Lane, and Preston Road and Mill Lane; cutting back vegetation along the full length of Park Hall Road to widen the footpath; and investment in boosting public rights of way.

However, he said “further thought” was needed over the bend where Mill Lane meets Park Hall Road so that vehicle speeds are reduced sufficiently.

A bus interchange will also be created within the estate and a financial contribution will be made by the developer to extend the start and end times of bus services and their regularity.

Mr. McGlone concluded that the overall package of enhancements would make the site sustainable, although he recognised that journeys by “non-sustainable” means would still occur.

However, veteran councillor Alan Whittaker, who represents the Eccleston, Heskin and Charnock Richard ward on Chorley Council, excoriated the decision.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), he said residents – more than 200 of whom submitted objections to the Planning Inspectorate as part pf the appeal process – were “steaming” over the approval of the plans.

“We’re talking about 350 houses – meaning maybe 600 cars – [so] all the villages to the west of this site will be gridlocked within two years,

“The only justification is that they’re going to put some [extra] bus services on. But the ultimate ridiculousness is that they will also put parking for bicycles in Coppull and Eccleston.

“Do they think that people are going to use bikes to ride a couple of miles to get to the services they need? It’s absolutely ludicrous – and a grotesque decision.

“Also, all the schools in Charnock Richard, Heskin and Eccleston are full – so the children are going to have to go somewhere else. Are their parents going to take them on a bike? Of course not, they’ll go in their cars,” said Cllr Whittaker, who, along with fellow ward councillor Arjun Singh, spoke in opposition to the planned estate at the hearing.

Meanwhile, South Ribble MP Paul Foster – whose constituency covers the former theme park plot and who also made a submission to the inquiry calling for the proposal to be dismissed – added his voice to the condemnation of the outcome of the appeal.

‘I’m obviously hugely disappointed in the inspector’s decision, as he clearly states the development as presented isn’t sustainable.

“It genuinely appears to me [that he] has rushed this appeal and decided because, in his view, it’s grey belt, it passes the test. I’m genuinely all for planning reform – and I’m pro-development, as many [people will] know – but [only] the right development in the right place.

“The planning inspector has stated, in his view, the development doesn’t pass the sustainability criteria [and that] there are outstanding highway issues – but crack on and live with it. I will be seeking a ministerial meeting and request[ing] a formal review. This is utter nonsense,” Mr. Foster told the LDRS.

The planning permission granted by the inspector is in outline form, meaning the finer details of the development will still have to be brought before Chorley Council for so-called ‘reserved matters’ approval. These will include the arrangements for the road that will be used to access the second of the two parcels of the estate, which was one of the main concerns of Lancashire County Council highways chiefs because it runs alongside a body of water en route to the existing Park Hall Hotel.

Story Homes has indicated that work will start on the site no later than September 2027.

Debate over greenbelt policy

The planning inquiry heard three arguments from Story Homes as to why its housing proposal did not conflict with greenbelt policy.

Significant development on greenbelt land is usually prohibited – unless a limited number of permitted exceptions or ‘very special circumstances’ are deemed to apply.

The housebuilder put forward its trio of cases in order, meaning that only if the first was judged unsound by the inspector did he have to consider the second – and only if that was ruled out was he required to assess the third.

The initial strand of the argument was that the proposal fulfilled four criteria laid down in national planning policy which dictate greenbelt development should not be regarded as inappropriate when each of them is met – and Andrew McGlone found that they were, meaning he had no other greenbelt issues to consider.

First, he judged that the scheme would utilise grey belt land which “would not fundamentally undermine the purposes of the remaining greenbelt” across the rest of the district. In doing so, he concluded, amongst other things, that the site was not needed to prevent the “unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas”; nor to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another – because Heskin, Eccleston, Charnock Richard and Coppull are all villages.

He noted that the site was not next to a large built-up area – and is “well contained either by road infrastructure or natural features such as ancient woodland”, which would be maintained..

Second, he accepted that the development fulfilled a “demonstrable unmet need” – because Chorley Council is currently able to show that it has only 3.4 years’ worth of land available to meet its new housing requirements, rather than the five required by the government.

Thirdly, because of the highway and public transport upgrades proposed, he concluded that the development could be made sustainable.

Finally, in pledging to offer 50 percent of the properties as ‘affordable homes’, committing to local infrastructure improvements and creating new areas of publicly accessible open space, the application met the so-called ‘golden rules’ introduced by recent changes in planning legislation.

Mr. McGlone also concluded that the proposal chimed with Chorley’s own local planning policy allowing the redevelopment of previously-developed greenbelt sites – provided their appearance is either “maintained or enhanced”.

Builder says development ‘will leave a lasting legacy’

In response to the Planning Inspectorate decision, Story Homes highlighted that its scheme for the Camelot site would generate £3m in what is a compulsory ‘community infrastructure levy’ payment to create or enhance the facilities needed to support the development.

A further £1.85m will be handed over to make good on specific conditions attached to the planning approval, including the highways improvements.

Adam Galleymore, North West Operations Director at Story Homes, said the granting of permission “represents a major milestone in bringing forward the regeneration of a well-known brownfield site that has remained derelict for many years”.

He added: “The approved scheme will deliver a wide range of benefits for the local area, including much-needed new homes, a significant proportion of affordable housing, new community facilities, environmental enhancements and investment in local infrastructure. We are committed to creating a high-quality development that will leave a positive and lasting legacy for Charnock Richard and the wider Chorley area.”

The firm says the construction phase of the development will support around 240 jobs and, once complete, the new households will boost spending in the area by £12.3m.

What’s on the way?

A mix of detached, semi-detached and mews houses are planned, along with apartments. The properties will range in size from one to six bedrooms. – with four-bed dwellings accounting for the largest tranche of the site, at 30 percent.

Story Homes is also promising:

• A new community hub providing a flexible space for use by community groups, remote workers and other users for a range of events and meetings;
• Around 50 percent of the site area will be left as open space;
• A network of walking and cycling routes through that open space on land that has previously been largely inaccessible to the public;
• Retention of existing trees where possible, enhanced by additional planting;
• Play facilities for young people in the new neighbourhood and the wider community;
• Space for a coffee van or food truck, cycle parking and repair stand and parcel delivery lockers as part of the travel interchange;
• A sustainable development, with the potential for all homes to be provided with solar cells and air source heat pumps, in addition to electric vehicle charging infrastructure and very high levels of insulation and energy efficiency.