Developers win battle for Crompton Hall site

Reporter: reports by Richard Hooton
Date online: 30 July 2010

Oldham Planning Committee reports by Richard Hooton
CAMPAIGNERS have lost their battle to prevent development at Crompton Hall Wood — for the second time.

Developer Vian Homes was granted permission to build eight houses at the Shaw beauty spot, off Buckstones Road.

Crompton Hall Action Group claims the scheme will destroy woodland and wildlife.

The group, which had seen off six sets of plans over three years, had already been forced to concede defeat two years ago after a planning inspector approved the building of 15 flats and a three-bedroom bungalow.

But the developer never started work and it’s believed the credit crunch, making it more difficult to sell flats, forced it to go back to the drawing board and submit the application to build eight houses — a mix of three, four and five-bedroom properties.

Forty letters of objection were submitted raising concerns over highway safety, parking problems and an over-development that’s out of character with the surrounding area.

Shaw and Crompton Parish Council’s planning committee had recommended refusal on the grounds that it will have an adverse effect on traffic and the loss of neighbours’ facilities. Shaw Councillors Howard Sykes, Oldham Council’s leader, and Councillor Mark Alcock objected saying the site is overcrowded, the new build will overlook adjoining properties, trees will be removed and damaged and wildlife will be adversely affected.

But planning officers recommended approval saying the scheme would: “Deliver an acceptable design, at an appropriate density and housing mix.”

An area of woodland will be given over for public use in the interests of nature conservation and handed over to Oldham Council for management along with money for maintenance. A footpath will be widened.

Alan Nicket, for the applicant, said with fewer residential units involved, traffic would be significantly reduced, measures would be made to safeguard protected species such as bats and there would be no greater impact on trees than from the approved scheme.

Councillor Steven Bashforth said the committee was “between the devil and the deep blue sea” as if it refused it could get the “appalling old scheme that had been likened to an office block.”

He added that the new application was an improvement and nowhere near as bad as the previous scheme.

Councillor John Battye agreed that it was more attractive but Councillor Rod Blyth said it was an overdevelopment of the site and he was still against it. His recommendation to refuse was outvoted in favour of approval.