CHRISTMAS has come early for Save Peel Hall campaigners who are delighted over the decision by highway planners to object to controversial plans to build 1,200 homes on the last remaining natural greenfield site in North Warrington.
Warrington council’s Highways Department highlighted numerous areas of concern in a report that criticised the latest planning application put forward by Satnam Investments Ltd by stating the plan “falls very short” of supplying sufficient information on its impact on the town’s roads.
Despite giving Satnam three deadlines, the company failed to provide the necessary information to the council department.
Peel Hall campaigner Ste Dodd said: ”I firmly believe that Satnam’s traffic survey was a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and Warrington Borough Council’s Highways Department as it was carried out at carefully chosen times and places.
“Satnam’s plan to remove street parking on Poplars Avenue is an admission of how congested this road would become if these plans were passed. I’m sure most people living here are unaware of Satnam’s intentions. I urge the residents of Poplars to come forward and fight Satnam’s folly.”
Fellow campaigner Jon Parr commented: “It’s clear from the proposals submitted and the LHA’s objection, that Satnam’s plan to build 1,200 homes, retail, commercial and industrial premises is completely unsustainable.”
He added:” The fact that their models have not taken into account traffic from new apartments during peak periods on the justification that …”apartments are generally considered to result in lower peak period trip rates than privately owned houses” you would think that was bad enough but a unilateral omission of building site traffic from the network over a development period of 12 years beggars belief!”
“I find it incredibly naïve that Satnam proposes to develop roadside verges along Poplars Avenue, effectively displacing roadside parking for residents.”
Jon added: “Furthermore trying to offset this with a reduced capacity for parking bays, which has been described by the LHA as “onerous” shows Satnam cares very little for people’s health, safety and wellbeing,”
Jon concluded: ”I believe artistic license has been used throughout Satnam’s reviews and models in lieu of recognised model criteria (with very little or no justification) for one purpose only, to try and influence the result which it so desperately requires, and it shows! The LHA’s report eludes to this very fact several times in a polite and considered manner. I see this approach as nothing short of dishonest – this has been Satnam’s approach to the entire development planning process from day one.”
After hearing the news, jubilant campaigner, Wendy Johnson-Taylor said: “We are delighted by this decision. This comes as an early Christmas present to us. Residents are ecstatic! This decision from the highways department comes as no surprise to us – we have always said from the outset that Satnam’s nightmare of a planning application is totally unsustainable.
“It gives little regard for safety, the entire plan is flawed and is shoddy. The whole proposed development adversely affects us all, on all sides. There’s no way of getting around this, it’s completely unsustainable and no amount of jiggery-pokery will change this. We remain resolute in our fight to save Peel Hall and we are more than prepared to fight on in the New Year.” added Wendy.
