Families fight plans for housing estates
RESIDENTS are already preparing to oppose plans for up to 80 new homes – weeks before a planning application has even been submitted.
Seddon Homes held a consultation event at Congleton Town Hall to invite families to have a look at proposals for two new housing developments.
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ON DISPLAY: Residents Helen and Ken Mackintosh look over the plans for the new homes. Picture: Malcolm Hart
The schemes involve building properties on land off The Moorings in Congleton and off Goldfinch Close and Kestrel Close in the town.
But neighbours of the sites have warned the developments could cause traffic problems on already-busy Canal Road, which runs through the centre of town.
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Derek White, aged 68, of Quayside, Congleton, said: "I'm very strongly opposed to these plans.
"I've been talking to other people who went to the consultation and they are totally against it.
"If Seddon is not careful I can see an action group being set up to fight these plans."
The planned housing estates, which will mix some affordable housing with larger family homes, are within 800 yards of Daven Primary School and Marlfields Marfields Primary School, and close to amenities such as a leisure centre and Congleton Library.
Mr White added: "There's going to be a lot of extra traffic and Canal Road is already overcrowded. In the morning the traffic looks like a snake, crawling from Morrisons through the town.
"It is near to a primary school and a junior school and nowhere near any employment land. I don't think it is going to benefit Congleton."
Kevin Brough, aged 50, of Moorings, Congleton, said: "Housing is a national issue and at some point this has got to be addressed.
"But put houses somewhere safe, not near to a school when traffic is already really busy and the amenities are overloaded.
"Canal Road has got to be one of the of the busiest roads in Congleton. All it is going to do is increase the traffic."
Daphne Sharp, aged 53, of Quayside, said: "I'm a bit concerned. Canal Street drops down to a narrow stretch and the volume of traffic is quite high. Forty new houses could mean 80 extra cars."
Seddon Homes says both its new developments are 'landscape led'.
It adds the schemes have been drawn up by a master landscape planner, rather than an urban architect, focussing on a pleasant environment for residents. Both plans include public open space and children's play areas.
The company says it has not yet finalised the number of houses, but that it will be up to 40 homes on each site.
It added that the developments will be aimed at the family market.
A spokesman said: "Both schemes are deliverable.
"At present we are working with the public and the local authority.
"If plans are approved it will take around two years for building to be completed. While we are building, it will bring local jobs to the area and after that the new residents will spend money in the local community."
An outline planning application is due to be submitted to Cheshire East Council following the public consultation stage.
Comments
by castaway
Thursday, September 06 2012, 12:07AM
“Hang on a minute what's this Cheshire stuff doing in Staffordshire news.
o_o”
by castaway
Thursday, September 06 2012, 12:04AM
“The jobs will be temporary. The profit goes to the developers. Very little finds its way into the local economy (the Tesco board of directors are not local!). The expense is overloaded infrastructure & services, increased class sizes, increased traffic (all the new residents will drive to shops, work & lets face it everywhere because people do now), and decimated natural environment. The proposal for Priestyfields for example is totally out of order, increasing traffic on an already dangerously overloaded road & school route, and destroying local natural heritage & a vital wildlife habitat. The present rose-tinted promise that new homes across Britain will 'cure the recession' is at best naive and at worst downright incompetent - to say nothing of the ignorant reliance on red brick when our forward-thinking counterparts on the european mainland are embracing modern builds with sustainable technologies.”
by ghosts
Monday, July 23 2012, 10:34AM
“Well said Goach....”
by stevenweiss
Friday, July 20 2012, 8:35PM
“No more development anywhere in Congleton please. Traffic is a nightmare already. Only a brain-dead good for nothing dosser of a planner would allow more housebuilding here. Maybe the said planner is up for a juicy back hander? I know how these things work.”
by Goach
Thursday, July 19 2012, 9:51AM
“Kevin Brough says "But put houses somewhere safe, not near to a school when traffic is already really busy and the amenities are overloaded." Surely putting houses near a school is a good idea if those houses are to be family houses, then the parents from those houses will be able to walk their children to school instead of clogging up the roads with cars twice a day. There's no pleasing some people.”