Halton Council has opened a public consultation on three planning applications affecting sites in Runcorn and Daresbury, giving local people and businesses 24 days from the notice publication date to submit representations.
Applications at a glance
| Reference | Proposal | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00251/S73 | Variation of conditions 2, 3, 6 and 12 and removal of conditions 7 and 8 relating to approval 25/00186/FUL | Vacant land north of Astmoor Road and west of Howdens, beneath the Mersey Gateway Bridge, Runcorn |
| 26/00252/FUL | Proposed wooden gazebo with pitched roof | Rear of Sexton Cottage, Chester Road, Daresbury, WA4 4AJ (conservation area) |
| 26/00256/LBC | Listed Building Consent to replace nine sash windows; retain and restore existing window boxes | 5 Weston Road, Runcorn, WA7 4JU |
What a Section 73 application means locally
The most complex of the three is 26/00251/S73, an application under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act which seeks to vary and remove specified conditions attached to an earlier approval (25/00186/FUL, as later amended). A Section 73 application does not reopen the principle of the originally approved development but allows the council to reconsider particular conditions. Any new consent would sit alongside the original permission, updated where relevant.
Key issues the council is likely to weigh up include construction management (hours, access and noise control), ground investigation and remediation requirements, habitat management and monitoring, and access and highway safety. The vacant site sits beneath the Mersey Gateway Bridge, meaning any works may attract particular scrutiny on access and environmental safeguards.
Heritage and conservation considerations
The Daresbury proposal (26/00252/FUL) would add a wooden gazebo to the rear of a property within a conservation area. The council will consider the design, scale and materials of the structure and how it affects the local character. For the Runcorn listed building application (26/00256/LBC), the proposal is to replace nine sash windows at 5 Weston Road while retaining and restoring the existing window boxes, as described in the notice.
- Consultation period: 24 days from the notice publication date
- Main considerations: construction management, ground conditions, ecology, visual and heritage impact, access and highway safety
- How to respond: representations should be submitted to Halton Council within the consultation period (details in the public notice)
Residents and businesses with concerns or support for any of the proposals should ensure representations are lodged within the 24‑day window so the planning case officers can take local views into account when determining the applications.
Further information on the individual applications and how to comment will be available from Halton Council’s planning service and the notice published in the Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News.
