Prologis’s 1.2m sq ft letting to online superstore Amazon in Widnes, Cheshire, is under threat after a parish council launched a judicial review against the scheme.
The high court will decide in the coming weeks whether to grant a JR after Halebank parish council said it was not properly consulted on the plans for a £46m rail-connected shed.
If a JR is granted the warehouse, based at the Mersey Multimodal Gateway, could be held up for more than a year.
Sources said Amazon will “almost certainly look at alternatives” if the legal proceedings progress.
One added: “It is a classic localism struggle. A group of local people don’t want it in their back yards, while the developer and council are saying it will bring 1,000 jobs to the area.”
Neighbouring landowner Stobart Group is expecting a decision from Halton council imminently on its £92m plans to develop three sheds totalling 1.4m sq ft opposite the Prologis scheme. The largest shed in Stobart’s plans is 850,000 sq ft, although the company said this week that the scheme could “easily be re-jigged to provide a shed of more than 1m sq ft”.
Prologis submitted a planning application for its rail-connected shed in July, and permission was granted in September.
Halebank is objecting against the statutory public consultation being held during August, a time when its councillors did not meet.
The parish council said it had a petition against the scheme signed by more than 500 local residents.
Council chairman Colin Rowan said: “Halebankers don’t want another blot on the landscape. It’s so near to residents, it’s unbelievable.”
A spokesman for Halton council said: “We are disappointed with the approach of the parish council at this very late stage, because we have carried out extensive consultation with local residents on this project since 2004. The parish council has been involved in this information exchange and consultation throughout.”
Savills is advising Halton council.
Amazon and Prologis declined to comment.
nick.whitten@estatesgazette.com
