Birchwood
| Station Name | Birchwood |
| Station Code | BWD |
| Station Owner | Northern Trains |
| Developable Area | 48.46ha |
| Development Capacity | 2,423 homes (at 50dph) |
| Local Planning Authority | Warrington |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Required | 2,243 |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Delivered | 1,615 |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Score | 72% |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Consequence | Presumption |
| Green Belt | Merseyside and Greater Manchester |
| Green Belt Area | 48.46ha ( 100% of the potential development area) |
| Network Rail Region | North West |
| Network Rail Sub-Region | Cheshire |
| Passengers, 2020 - 2021 | 120,136 |
| Passengers, 2019 - 2020 | 599,620 |
| UK Station Passenger Rank (Use) | 851 |
Development Potential
England's busiest station (apart from those serving airports) had 4,170,558 passenger movements in the period 2019-2020. The station with the least was 68. Birchwood station had 599,620 passengers enter or exit it during this period. That's roughly 1,647 people per day.
For a station with this number of passengers passing through it each year a density of 50 homes per hectare is reasonable, based on its proximity to major population centres and existing infrastructure.
Birchwood is located within the North West railway region. The potential area for development around the station (excluding existing buildings, national parks, flood zones, public green space, protected habitats, areas of outstanding natural beauty, world heritage sites and surface water) is approximately 48.46ha.
Assuming an appropriate (but not prevailing) development density of 50 dwellings per hectare, this area has a development capacity of around 2,423 homes.
The station sits within Warrington planning authority, which in 2021 achieved a Housing Delivery Test Score of 72%, having delivered 1,615 homes from a target of 2,243. As a result of this score, the authority is subject to a 'presumption in favour of sustainable development', according to the NPPF.
The total capacity of all Warrington's stations is 5,415 homes. That's 241% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.
Taking green belt into account, the capacity of Warrington's stations is 2,529 homes without building on protected land. That's 113% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.
