The Planning Committee of St Helens Council met on 7 October 2025, and approved plans for 220 dwellings at Land At Weathercock Hill Farm, an employment development on Land East of James Roby Way, and an upgraded substation at Hardshaw Brook Depot. Councillors also approved a part-retrospective application for self-storage units at 19 Lords Fold, and delegated approval for an extension to Parr Library to the Head of Planning.

Planning Applications

The committee made decisions on several planning applications:

Land At Weathercock Hill Farm, Garswood Road, Ashton In Makerfield (P/2025/0043/FUL)

The committee approved a full planning application for the erection of 220 dwellings at Land At Weathercock Hill Farm, Garswood Road, including internal access roads, public open space, play facilities, and associated infrastructure. The development will consist of a mix of one- to five-bedroom houses, bungalows and apartments, with 70% for market sale and 30% as affordable housing.

The approval is subject to conditions and a Section 106 agreement, which will secure £2,030,990.24 in contributions towards:

• Education (£669,019)
• Health (£162,209)
• Highways (£497,500)
• Leisure, Sport and Recreation (£462,987)
• Play and Allotments (£227,584)
• Biodiversity Net Gain monitoring (£11,691)

The committee heard that the site is allocated for residential development in the St Helens Borough Local Plan, with an indicative capacity of 216 dwellings. The proposal exceeds this with 220 dwellings, but officers considered this acceptable subject to compliance with other relevant policies.

The Strategic Housing Officer had raised concerns about the proposed housing mix, but the applicant provided an assessment and revised the mix, which was considered acceptable. All homes will be Part M4(2) compliant, and 5% will be Part M4(3) compliant, in line with local plan policy requirements.

Land East of James Roby Way, St Helens (P/2025/0294/FUL)

The committee approved a full application for an employment development on Land East of James Roby Way, including general industrial use (B2¹), storage and distribution (B8²), professional services (E(g)(ii)³), industrial processes (E(g)(iii)⁴) and ancillary office space (E(g)(i)⁵). The development includes associated car parking, servicing areas, landscaping, and infrastructure works.

The development will consist of four buildings, and make use of the existing access in the north-east corner of the site adjacent to Glass Futures.

The approval is subject to conditions including a construction management plan, a HGV management plan, a travel plan, and a noise management plan.

The committee heard that the site is located within the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Investment Zone and adjacent to Glass Futures, and that the development would contribute towards establishing a St Helens Manufacturing & Innovation Campus.

Hardshaw Brook Depot, Parr Street (P/2025/0484/FP3)

The committee approved an application for the erection of a substation at Hardshaw Brook Depot, Parr Street. The building would be of brick construction and a flat roof, and would measure 9 metres in length, 5.6 metres in width and 2.8 metres in height.

The approval is subject to conditions including a site investigation and risk assessment, and a remediation verification report.

The committee heard that the proposal would provide an upgraded substation building for Hardshaw Brook Depot, and would support the council's decarbonisation and sustainability objectives.

19 Lords Fold, Rainford (P/2024/0334/FUL)

The committee approved a part-retrospective application for the installation of 97 self-storage units at 19 Lords Fold, Rainford, with associated landscaping, external lighting, parking and signage.

The approval is subject to conditions including the implementation of a planting and management plan, a construction ecological management plan, and a lighting scheme.

Parr Library, Fleet Lane, St Helens (P/2025/0372/FP3)

The committee delegated the decision to grant planning permission for a single-storey extension to Parr Library, Fleet Lane, to the Head of Planning. The decision is subject to Highways Advisor, Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service (MEAS), and the Coal Authority withdrawing their objection to the proposed development and a schedule of the appropriate conditions.

The extension includes ramp access to the front and rear, external alterations to the building, roof fenestration amendments, and solar panels. The proposal also includes a 3m high weld mesh fencing to create external enclosures, and additional hardstanding.

The committee was informed that MEAS had considered the applicant's additional information ecology report, and had advised that any works to the western elevation should be directly supervised by a licensed bat ecologist. MEAS also recommended that biodiversity enhancements be secured through the planning of native shrubs and provision of bat roosting boxes.

Other Matters

Current Planning Appeals

The committee noted a report on the current position with regards to planning appeals that were pending or had recently been concluded, alongside details of any call-in inquiries. The Planning Appeals Schedule lists the appeals, including appeals against enforcement notices, high hedge appeals, and appeals against refusal of planning permission.

Planning Applications Determined Under Delegated Powers

The committee noted a report on planning applications determined under delegated powers. The Delegated Decisions List - October 2025 lists the applications, including the address, proposal, and decision.

Enforcement Schedule

The committee noted a report providing an overview of all planning enforcement complaints received and resolved from before 2020 up to 2025. The Enforcement Ocotber 2025 report included relevant statistics and commentary on the number of cases received and resolved during this period, performance against internal planning enforcement indicators, updates on other enforcement-related work and inquiries received since the last committee meeting, and a progress summary of current extant notices. The report also included an update on Section 106 agreements signed since the previous meeting.