Council updates on planning and enforcement activity relating to land at Fox's Bank Lane / Blundells Lane
St Helens Borough Council is providing an update following public enquiries regarding development activity on land located at the corner of Fox's Bank Lane and Blundells Lane, Rainhill, which commenced late evening on Thursday 2 April 2026 without prior notice and led to the council issuing an initial safety warning for motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area due to the reported presence of heavy machinery, pending further investigations.
Article date: 8 April 2026
The council is aware that development activity has commenced on the site without the necessary planning permission and as such the council will be taking the appropriate planning enforcement action, seeking the cessation of all unauthorised development with a Stop Notice and related Enforcement Note. The developer will have the right to appeal this action but, under planning legislation, a Stop Notice remains in force during any appeal process and breaching it is a criminal offence.
The site lies fully within the St Helens Borough boundary. The land is not and never has been owned by the council and is understood to be in private ownership. Formal confirmation of ownership is currently being sought through the Land Registry.
In November 2025, the council received a planning application (reference P/2025/0640/FUL) for the erection of a stable building, formation of a paddock, creation of an internal access track, and improvements to the existing site access. The application was validated on 27 November 2025 and entered into public consultation, including notification of ward members, letters to neighbouring properties, and the display of site notices.
On the evening of Thursday 2 April, after council offices had closed for the Easter Bank Holiday period, a new application was submitted via the Planning Portal for a Gypsy and Traveller site comprising ten pitches for static and mobile caravans. This application has not yet been validated due to missing information. As soon as this information is provided it will be entered into public consultation, appearing on the public access planning system.
An ongoing assessment of the earlier development proposal (reference P/2025/0640/FUL) was being undertaken by the Planning Service and technical consultees but coinciding with the new submission, the council's Planning Service received a request from the applicant's agent to withdraw that prior application.
The submission of a retrospective planning application by the developer does not prevent the council from taking enforcement action, but any retrospective application must be assessed on its planning merits in line with national policy and the council's Local Plan.
St Helens Borough Council will continue to follow the appropriate legal and planning processes and will provide further updates as required.