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Protesters hit at Foxdenton plans
Reporter: KAY DINGSDALE
Date online: 21 February 2013
Worries over traffic, road safety, flooding and loss of green space
SCORES of people visited a public exhibition on Foxdenton green land development within minutes of the doors opening yesterday.
Last month the announcement of plans to develop the 49-hectare site - bounded by Foxdenton Lane, Broadway, Radclyffe Athletics Centre and Firwood Park - into a business park and homes cause a furore and 250 people attended a protest meeting.
Residents are concerned about the loss of green space and wildlife, drainage problems, flooding, traffic, road safety and the future of a riding school.
The exhibition at Newman College continues today, and another will be held at the Spindles shopping centre a week tomorrow (9am-5pm).
Most of the visitors were vehemently opposed to the idea of development.
Foxdenton LLP (Limited Liability Partnership) - made up of North-West- based Seddon Group and property development company Grasscroft Property - has worked with the council to develop the proposals.
The partnership says the development could create more than 2,000 jobs, and 160 full-time construction jobs a year for up to eight years.
Councillor Dave Hibbert, cabinet member for housing, transport and planning, said: “It’s very important that people let us know their views and thoughts and we can assure them they will be taken on board.”
Comments
The council have an obligation to listen to people's views but this won't make any difference. This is already a done deal. They very craftily changed it from green belt several years ago (without anyone realising) and now they can do whatever they please. Another nice little earner for our lovely council. Your public shafted again. Well done!
Cllr Hibbert, no one believes what you are saying anymore. You have not told the people the full picture from start to finish. It was 380 homes now it is 450, there was no link road now there is a link road from Foxdenton Lane onto Broadway Crossley Bridge! A friend who lives on Foxdenton Lane has tried to get an answer from your 3 esteemed Colleagues who are ward Cllr's, but not one of them will oppose it & not one of them will support local people. They are just towing the Labour Party line.
Important to note fedupoldhamer that the council will only make recommendations, it is the planning committee made up of elected members that make the final decision. Try watching "The Planners" on BBC2 tonight, it might help you understand process
Oh come on the council are trying to bring jobs into the borough yet these people just want to moan because it's near to their precious homes . If this was planned for a more deprived area of oldham it wouldn't even make the news.Loss of green space, wildlife, drainage problems, flooding, traffic, road safety, and a riding school all headline stuff but they don't really care just as long as it's not built on their doorstep!!!
massive areas of freehold and derker where cleared for development. surely this is the solution. not building on greenbelt. (this area is really of whats left there)
Bramble we all know what goes on in those planning departments. some really poor decisions get passed.
take a look at kirklees council who try to ensure developments fit in with the surrounding area.
you'd be lucky in oldham to get that!
in alot of cases they cannot even get developers to adhear to the original plans they passed
@Onlyme. I see your point, but the problem is that developers and councils lie, promises are made then broken. Every big development in oldham in the last 30 years has promised 1,000 plus jobs, but they never materialise.
I have no issue with development but the whole process is fraught with problems, so the locals have cause for fear. Plans can, and are, made to look nice then changed retrospectively after planning consent - that is the real problem.
By Onlyme..Well the fact is that it is not planned in a run down area.It is planned in an already over populated area.Business premises are empty all around.Broadway is the busiest road in Oldham and has just put a huge school on the road.Traffic and pollution and infastructure will be unreal. 450 houses planned for who? Who will be buying these check Ryder and Dutton 157 houses up for sale in Chadderton,180 on Kirkham's so thats 337 for sale just by these 2 agents alone so why are more needed?
Fedupoldhamer - give me some examples? You always moan about the council but with no actual substance. You need to understand the council has no power over planning, the officers can only make recommendations, it is the planning committee that makes the ultimate decisions.
I went to the briefing on the second day and stayed about an hour. All of the residents who I heard and spoke with were constructive, asking relevant questions and relatively relaxed about the proposals. The opponents must have been and gone by then.
@Dave from Chadderton.You must have been at a different briefing to everyone else then.
Residents from across the development area have voiced their opposition to these plans.
The "relaxed" residents you spoke with must have left by the time those who disagree with these plans were there.
Fairbank007. Same meeting, different time, different people, maybe even different day. Perhaps those who were 'relaxed' were intimidated by those who were 'hostile' to the proposals. Just because a lot of people turn up to meetings, doesn't mean that they were all against the proposals. I know people who went along, with an open mind, just to find out what is happening.
Have Your Say
means absolutely nothing. locals voiced their concerns on road safety and traffic fears which have all come true at the new waterhead academy.
the council chose to ignore all this and grant permission anyhow.
the same will probably happen here.
By fedupoldhamer @ 21/02/2013 14:42:29