Cllr Graham Gowland

03/11/2026

LOCAL PLAN UPDATE - SITES PUT FORWARD IN LYMM SOUTH WARD

As one of your Lymm South councillors I wanted to set out in detail what has actually been put forward in our ward through the Warrington Local Plan 2026 Call for Sites.

The Council ran the Call for Sites from 16 April to 1 June and received 118 sites. The full list for the whole borough is here if you want to check other areas:
https://www.warrington.gov.uk/call-site-submissions-local-plan-2026

These are suggestions only - submitting a site does not mean it will be allocated. All sites will be assessed for Green Belt, highways, flood risk, ecology etc.

These are the 5 sites that fall inside Lymm South (WA13 0):

1. Land off Pepper Street, Lymm
Link:https://www.warrington.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-10/7.%20Land%20at%20Pepper%20Street%20Lymm.pdf
Size: 1.7ha / triangular plot / Grid 368975, 387311
Proposed: 50 homes + car park / drop-off for Ravenbank Primary
Owner: Mohammed Waheed & Shahid Latif (Majornet Ltd) / Agent: Emery Planning
Current use: Dog exercise / training field for 10+ years with car park and access track - 80% greenfield, 20% previously developed
Access: Proposed extension of Pepper Street with 5.5m carriageway + 2m footway - developer says deliverable on their land
Availability: Immediately
Key points: Bounded by built-up Lymm to west, Sutch Lane bridleway to south, Bridgewater Canal to north, woodland to east. Adjacent to Ravenbank School and Nature Garden Nursery. Promoter argues it is grey belt (parcel LY17) and no longer strongly contributes to Green Belt due to Bellway's Narrowboat View (108 homes) and Tanyard Farm (64 homes) opposite side of canal. Flood Zone 1, no heritage assets. Certificate of lawfulness for dog field use pending (2026/00531/CLDE).

2. Land at Cherry Lane, Lymm (Thomson site)
Link:https://www.warrington.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-10/16.%20Land%20at%20Cherry%20Lane%2C%20Lymm.pdf
Size: 2.96ha / Grid 367253, 385980
Proposed: 75 homes
Owner: Neil Thomson (63 Camsley Lane) / Agent: Groves Town Planning
Current use: Agricultural - 100% active use, 99% greenfield, 1% buildings (farm buildings, all in use)
Access: Existing access off Cherry Lane
Availability: Immediately
Key points: Lower density at around 25 dwellings per hectare. No technical constraints flagged. Same landowner also put forward ADS Recycling site in Lymm North.

3. Cherry Lane, Lymm (Richborough - 12ha)
Link:https://www.warrington.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-10/49.%20Cherry%20Lane%2C%20Lymm.pdf
Size: 12 hectares - 3 agricultural fields / WA13 0SU area
Proposed: 230 homes
Promoter: Richborough (site under option) / Agent: Asteer Planning, Manchester
Current use: Greenfield agricultural - 100% greenfield, vacant, no buildings
Access: Bounded by existing roads on 3 sides - Cherry Lane (west), The Avenue (south), Lakeside Road (east) - promoter says direct access to strategic road network via Cherry Lane without going through village centre
Availability: Immediately
Key points: Entirely Flood Zone 1. Visually contained. Lymm Dam Complex and The Bongs and The Gorse Local Wildlife Sites nearby. Lymm Conservation Area abuts eastern boundary and Grade II Listed Bridge at Head of Lymm Dam to south-east - promoter proposes green buffer. No ecological designations on site. 1.2km to Lymm centre, 300m to Cherry Tree Primary, 700m to bus stops on Booths Hill Road.

4. Land east of Oughtrington Lane
Link:https://www.warrington.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-10/79.%20Land%20east%20of%20Oughtrington%20Lane.pdf
Size: 10.35 hectares / Grid 369763, 387236
Proposed: 250 homes
Owner: Longton P J B / Agent: Ceres Property, Bicester
Current use: Agricultural - 100% greenfield, no buildings
Access: Existing access off Oughtrington Lane, adjoins Lymm High School
Availability: Immediately - enquiries already received from housebuilders
Key points: Dual submission with sister site at Wet Gate Lane. Part of wider landholding. Promoter argues Lymm is sustainable and under-provided in current plan (301 homes) vs new need of 1,064 dwellings per annum borough-wide. Not in Flood Zones 2 or 3, no heritage assets, no TPOs, no statutory ecological designations. Promoter says logical defensible parcel with strong walking / cycling links to village centre.

5. Land off Cherry Lane and Booths Lane (Miller Homes)
Link:https://www.warrington.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-10/95.%20Land%20off%20Cherry%20Lane%20and%20Booths%20Lane.pdf
Size: 8.6 hectares - 3 agricultural fields / Grid 367500, 386545
Proposed: 200 homes including affordable
Promoter: Miller Homes (site under option) / Agent: Stantec, Manchester
Current use: Greenfield - 100% greenfield, vacant, no buildings
Access: Currently no access - proposed safe access from Booths Lane to north and Cherry Lane to east - detailed access drawings in Development Framework
Availability: Immediately - full Development Framework, Phase 1 Geoenvironmental, Ecology, Tree Schedule completed
Key points: Bounded by Cherry Lane east, Booths Lane north, open farmland south and west. Clay deposits found in boreholes - not considered viable to extract, may need abnormal foundations. Lymm Dam Local Wildlife Site 360m east - dust and recreational pressure noted with mitigation proposed. Promoter argues exceptional circumstances exist for Green Belt release and includes Grey Belt assessment.

Total in Lymm South from these 5 sites: approx 44.8 hectares / 805 homes.

HOW TO COMMENT

1. These are NOT planning applications. The Council will now technically assess all 118 sites. The next chance for formal public comment will be the Preferred Development Option consultation for the new Local Plan - I will share dates when published.
2. If you want your views logged now on any of these specific site submissions, email [email protected] with the subject "Call for Sites 2026 - [site address]" and copy in your local councillors.
3. Please focus comments on planning matters - Green Belt impact, highways / Pepper Street / Cherry Lane / Oughtrington Lane traffic, school capacity, flood risk, ecology, landscape, and whether Lymm South can sustainably accommodate this scale of growth.
4. You can also view any site outside Lymm South on the main page above.

I will continue to update as the assessments come forward.

Graham

03/11/2026

🎤 CALLING ALL LOCAL MUSICIANS & BANDS - DEVA FEST OPPORTUNITY 🎶

Great news for our talented local artists!
Applications are now OPEN to perform at Deva Fest - and you could be sharing the stage and appearing on the same poster as Supergrass..

This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Warrington and Cheshire talent on a big stage.

Deva Fest are looking for:
🎸 Acoustic acts, bands, singers - you name it
🎵 Original material preferred
📍 Ideally based within an hour of the festival

How to apply:
Email [email protected] with subject line “Music Application”
Include:
• Links to your socials
• A decent quality performance video
• A quick bio

They get 100s of applications so they’ll only be able to reply if you’re successful - and if you performed in 2026, please sit this year out to give others a chance.

We have so much musical talent in our area - let’s get some local acts on that line-up!

Please share and tag anyone who should apply.

Good luck! 🤞

02/11/2026

Spode Green Data Centre – 60 hectares south of Lymm Road – how big it is and how to have your say properly

From Innova’s own consultation boards, it’s 60 hectares – 148 acres – about 84 football pitches – 600,000 sqm. That would make it three times larger than Vantage Newport, currently the UK’s largest data centre by land area. Link to the actual boards here:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6a8ec6a4e8b934248f416f17/t/6ac50ef790b57763cc6b0698/1791299319947/spodegreen_boards_FINAL.pdf

It’s proposed as a campus for multiple operators to cluster, not one building, with data halls, substations, district heating centre, offices, Living Lab and a solar array west of Coe Lane.

The site is in Green Belt and Open Countryside (Cheshire East Policies PG3 / PG6).

My main concern as Lymm South Independent councillor is whether this is a one-off campus or Phase 1 of a wider tech corridor at J7 M56 / A556.

How the consultations work – there are two separate processes:

1. The current pre-application consultation run by Innova:

This is not a council consultation. It is run by the developer. Emails to [email protected] and comments via https://www.spodegreendatacentre.co.uk/have-your-say go to Innova, not to Cheshire East. Innova must log them and include a summary in their application.

A petition, Facebook likes or signatures have almost no weight in planning law. They are logged as one representation. The case officer must consider material planning considerations like Green Belt openness, landscape, heritage impact on Dunham Massey, highways, ecology and noise.

The statutory planning application consultation will happen in 2026/27 when Innova submits to Cheshire East. At that point the council will put it on the planning portal and invite formal comments. Only comments made then become material considerations.

So please comment now via the official routes so it is logged:
[email protected]
https://www.spodegreendatacentre.co.uk/have-your-say
And be ready to comment again when the actual application goes to Cheshire East.

2. The Local Plan promotion:

Innova has also submitted this 60ha site into Cheshire East’s emerging Local Plan Call for Sites in early 2026. The council ran Call for Sites in April-July 2024 and February-March 2026.

The Local Plan scoping consultation which ran until 1 September 2026 has now closed. The council said that stage was not for comments on individual sites.

The next stage is when Cheshire East publishes potential site allocations and evidence. That is when you can formally comment on whether Spode Green should be allocated and removed from Green Belt.

To be notified when that window opens, register at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/localplan and email [email protected] to ask to be added to the mailing list for the new Local Plan.

In short – comment now to Innova so they have to answer, and register now with Cheshire East so you are notified for the Local Plan allocation stage and for the planning application stage.

Cllr Graham Gowland – Lymm South (Independent)

01/11/2026

🗺 WHO REPRESENTS YOU AROUND LYMM SOUTH? Full contact list below.

I’ve put together a clear map and contact sheet for Lymm and our border wards. The pink outline in the middle is Lymm South — my ward. Please save / share — useful to know who to contact.

📍 LYMM SOUTH – Warrington Borough Council (2 seats)
Graham Gowland – Independent (Me)
M: 07974 132166 | E: [email protected] | Facebook: Cllr Graham Gowland

Luke Stuttard – Liberal Democrats
M: 07483 175454 | E: [email protected]

📍 LYMM NORTH & THELWALL – Warrington (3 seats)
Bob Hignett – Lib Dem – [email protected]
Wendy Johnson – Lib Dem – 07920 288968 / [email protected]
Ian Marks – Lib Dem – 07813 367194 / [email protected]

📍 GRAPPENHALL – Warrington (2 seats)
Mark Browne – 07583 140557 / [email protected]
Helen Speed – 07581 048823 / [email protected]

📍 HIGH LEGH – Cheshire East
Kate Hague – [email protected]

📍 BOWDON – Trafford (3 seats)
Shengke Zhi – 07977 290830 / [email protected]
Lisa Hancock – [email protected]
Phil Eckersley – 07974 044755 / [email protected]

WHY CONTACT YOUR OWN WARD COUNCILLOR?

We are elected for a specific patch. I can only speak and vote for Lymm South. Different councils run different services — Warrington, Cheshire East and Trafford don’t cover each other.
We know our patch. Your own ward councillors know the roads, planning history and local issues. Officers also route casework by postcode to the right ward.
It gets you heard faster. Contacting the right ward councillor means your view is counted where you live — especially important on planning, traffic and Green Belt.
If you’re in Lymm South, come to me or Luke first. If you’re over the border, use the contacts above — they can help you faster because they own that patch.

HOW I WORK FOR LYMM SOUTH — MY APPROACH

My special duty is to the people of Lymm South, whether you voted for me or not — from Lymm village south of the canal, to Broomedge, Oughtrington and Booths Hill, where I have lived for 15 years.

My approach is simple:

Firstly, I direct you to the best place to make your voice heard. Most issues are decided faster when residents speak directly — a planning comment on the portal, a report on the Warrington app, an objection to Highways, a call to the right officer. I will tell you exactly where, how and when to make your voice count, in plain English, with the right link or reference.

Then, where needed, I champion it. If you’ve had no joy, if the system isn’t listening, or if it’s a wider ward issue — flooding, road safety, Green Belt, anti-social behaviour — I will take ownership of it. I will bring it to the right officers, raise it at the Town Hall, and stay with it until it’s resolved.

As an Independent, I answer only to you, not to a party whip. I will always try to explain Council policy honestly — what it really means for Lymm South.

I’m contactable by mobile, email or Facebook — and I will always get back to you.

Decision-making, policy and budget — for the whole borough
As a Borough Councillor I also have a duty to the whole of Warrington.

I will help set policy and shape the Council Plan and Budget — including setting the level of Council Tax and agreeing the policy framework. Every pound must be justified, although the Council has been run by Warrington Labour since 2011 and little notice is currently taken of steering and oversight committees.

I will make and scrutinise decisions in Full Council, and in any committee or panel I am appointed to, where my attendance can make a difference.

I will participate fully and effectively, including in statutory roles like planning, licensing, and appeals and complaints — applying the rules fairly, listening to evidence, and deciding on merit.

I will oversee the lawful and effective management of public resources — making sure public money and services deliver value for council tax payers, as best I am able.

I will challenge and scrutinise — questioning performance, holding services to account, and monitoring delivery against targets.

Community leadership and governance
This is about good governance and standing up for our area.

I will act as an ambassador for Lymm South locally, regionally and nationally.

I will actively encourage participation in local democracy — making it easier for you to have a say in decisions that affect you.

I will build partnerships where I can to improve quality of life here.

I will represent the Council on outside bodies where it helps Lymm South.

And I will do it properly: I have signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office, I abide by the Code of Conduct, I complete my Register of Interests as needed and keep it up to date, and I attend when legally summoned. As an Independent, I am transparent about who I am and who I represent.

In short: I work for Lymm South first, Warrington second, and no political party at all.

31/10/2026

Who actually owns Lymm? The corporate picture for WA13

I've been looking at the latest HM Land Registry data for corporate land ownership in our area, pulled together by planningconstraints.com for the WA13 district.

It's fascinating - and important for transparency:

The headline numbers for WA13:
- 636 titles held by companies and organisations, not private individuals
- Across 238 distinct owners
- 1% - just 6 titles - held via overseas-registered companies (2 in Jersey, 2 in Guernsey, 2 in Isle of Man)
- £58.6m recorded price paid across those corporate holdings

Who are the largest corporate owners in Lymm?
1. Your Housing Limited - 90 titles
2. Wallace Estates Limited - 81 titles
3. Hotel Options (Lymm) Limited - 59 titles
4. SP Manweb PLC - 20 titles
5. Tapestart Limited & Torus62 Limited - 16 titles each
6. Warrington Borough Council - 11 titles
7. Edge Property Rentals & Sage Rented - 10 titles each

The breakdown is also telling: 72% are standard limited companies, but 15% are Registered Societies - that's our housing associations like Your Housing, Torus62 and Weaver Vale. There's also Lymm Community Energy Limited with 4 titles - great to see community ownership in the mix.

Two things stand out for me as a councillor:

1. Transparency matters. When we talk about housing, development, or empty properties, it helps to know who actually holds the land. This is only the corporate slice - HM Land Registry doesn't publish private individual owners in this dataset - but it's a useful starting point.

2. It's overwhelmingly local/UK-based. Contrary to some national stories about offshore ownership, in WA13 only 1% is via overseas-registered companies, all in the Crown Dependencies.

Ownership is only half the story - the other half is what planning constraints apply to that land, from Green Belt and conservation areas to flood zones. You can check any specific address in WA13 for free on the same site.

Full data: https://planningconstraints.com/ownership/wa13

Source: HM Land Registry CCOD + OCOD data, October 2026. Corporate and overseas only, matched by postcode district as a screening indicator.

What do you make of this? Does anything surprise you?

636 corporate-owned property titles in Lymm (WA13), 1% held via overseas companies. Explore the owners, then check a site free for planning constraints.

30/10/2026

Are you or a family member an Armed Forces veteran? You could be missing out on a pension you earned.

Did you know that around 2,000 veterans every year fail to claim their Armed Forces pension?

Many people assume that because they only served for a short period, left a long time ago, or moved on to another career, they aren’t entitled to anything. It doesn’t matter how long you served—you may well have an entitlement waiting for you.

Unlike many modern workplace pensions, Armed Forces pension schemes are Defined Benefit (DB) schemes with guaranteed payouts based on scheme rules rather than stock-market performance. Even if you left service years ago, any accrued benefits remain preserved/deferred until you reach eligible age.

What Could You Be Entitled To?
Depending on when and how long you served, your package may include:
* Retirement/Preserved Pension: Monthly income payable once you reach scheme retirement age.
* Early Departure Payments (EDP) or Resettlement Grants: For eligible regular personnel meeting service conditions.
* Ill-Health Benefits: For those medically discharged.
* Survivor & Partner Benefits: Eligible spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners, and children may also receive pension or lump-sum benefits.
How to Check & Claim Your Pension

If you think you or a family member served and may have unclaimed pension benefits, checking is simple and free:
* Online: Visit the official GOV.UK guidance page for veterans' pensions at gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans.
* By Phone: Call the UK freephone helpline at 0800 085 3600.
* By Email: Contact the Joint Personnel Administration Centre (JPAC) directly at [email protected].

Please share this post with friends, family, and local veterans' groups. Let’s make sure everyone in our community receives the support and pension benefits they have rightfully earned.

Information related to the Armed Forces Pension Schemes.

30/10/2026

I've had a few people ask about the new Community Governance Review for Culcheth & Glazebury, so I thought it would be helpful to explain what it is and why it's important to take part.

A Community Governance Review is a formal process used to look at how a community is represented locally. It can consider things such as parish boundaries, parish wards, electoral arrangements, whether a parish council should continue in its current form, whether separate parish arrangements might be more appropriate, or whether other changes should be made to local governance arrangements.

What it is not about is the day-to-day operation of the parish council. The review does not consider council policies, staffing matters, budgets, spending decisions or member conduct. The focus is on governance structures and whether current arrangements continue to reflect the identity, interests and needs of the local community.

We've seen Community Governance Reviews elsewhere in Warrington in recent years. Penketh's review considered whether the parish council should be abolished, while reviews in Poulton with Fearnhead and Winwick examined parish boundaries, wards and councillor numbers.

Whatever your view, the important thing is that local people have their say. These reviews can have long-term implications for how communities are represented, so it's worth taking a few minutes to complete the survey.

You can take part here:

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/wbcgovernancereview/

The consultation closes on 30 November 2026.

As always, I would encourage residents, community groups and local organisations to make their views known so that any future decisions are informed by as wide a range of local opinion as possible.

Kind regards,

Graham
Cllr Graham Gowland
Lymm South, Independent

Please take a few minutes to take our survey.

30/10/2026

Good news for drivers - new rules to stop unfair private parking tickets - laid today

If you park in a private car park - supermarket, retail park, gym, high street, hospital, or housing estate - this affects you.

The Government has today, 20 October 2026, laid before Parliament the single statutory Private Parking Code of Practice for England, Scotland and Wales.
You can read the official guidance here: gov.uk

When does it apply?
A version of these rules is already live. The industry has been working to a Single Code since 1 October 2024 which already gives you the 5-minute consideration and 10-minute grace periods. All existing car parks must comply by December 2026.
The new statutory Code laid today goes further - with proper certification and a single independent Appeals Service - and will come into force 21 days after it is formally issued, after a 40-day period in Parliament. That is expected late December 2026 / early January 2027.

What this means for you right now and under the new law:
1. You get 5 minutes to decide. When you drive in, you must be given at least 5 minutes to read the signs and decide to leave, without getting a ticket. This includes ANPR car parks.
2. You get 10 minutes to leave. When your ticket or free time runs out, you must be given at least 10 minutes grace to get back and leave before a charge can be issued.
3. Charges are capped. A private parking charge cannot be more than £100. If you pay quickly, many operators will offer a discount to £60, but they cannot add extra debt collection or admin fees on top.
4. No more threatening letters. Debt collection must be fair and follow FCA rules.
5. Honest mistakes should be cancelled on appeal. Under the new Code, charges should be scrapped on appeal for things like stopping briefly to check directions, medical emergency, vehicle breakdown, or ticket machine broken and you tried to pay.
6. Signs must be clear. Car parks must have clear entrance signs, terms you can actually read, proper lighting, and clear warnings if ANPR is used.
7. Fairer appeals. You appeal to the operator first, then to a new single independent Appeals Service. The charge is frozen while your appeal is being looked at.
8. Extra protection for disabled drivers. Operators must make reasonable adjustments.

What to do if you get a ticket today:
Check the timings - was the 5 minute and 10 minute rule applied? Take photos of the signs. Appeal in time and keep copies. If you have a genuine reason - breakdown, medical, machine not working - include evidence.

Please share this - especially with new and older drivers who are most often caught out.

GOV.UK - The best place to find government services and information.

27/10/2026

Last night at Full Council I asked a question about the proposal to replace long-standing street trading consents on Council-owned land with tendered catering concessions.

In particular, I asked what decision-making process had been followed, what legal powers were being relied upon, and why some existing consent holders had been advised that arrangements may end on 31 December 2026.

The response I received focused on the Council's Street Trading Policy and the legal framework for street trading. However, my concern is primarily about the Council's role as a landowner and the governance process behind any move from consents to concession arrangements.

I therefore asked a supplementary question about whether considerations such as property law, valuation, best consideration and open space requirements had been assessed, and whether the necessary governance and decision-making processes had been followed.

As those details were not available during the meeting, the Portfolio Holder undertook to provide a written response.

I've followed up in writing seeking clarification on:

• What legal powers are being used. • Whether any property or land disposal considerations apply. • What approvals have been obtained. • Whether valuations and business cases have been prepared. • The future of existing consent holders. • The reasoning behind the proposed timetable.

This is not about opposing traders or opposing investment. It's about ensuring decisions affecting Council land, local businesses and public open spaces are transparent, properly documented and supported by the correct governance processes.

I'll share the response when it is received.

Kind regards,

Graham
Cllr Graham Gowland
Lymm South, Independent

27/10/2026

M6 closed both ways at J20 https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14weoKSSzKM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The motorway has been fully shut by emergency services