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Fenced in!
Reporter: Lucy Kenderdine
Date online: 18 March 2013
Residents ‘trapped’ in a jungle of fencing
HOUSEHOLDERS in Derker say they feel like they are in prison — because building work has closed access routes to their homes.
Work started in January on 165 homes in the London Road area. Angry Sarah Proctor (46), who has lived in Crabtree Road for more than 20 years, said: “They’ve shut off all access around us and it’s really difficult to walk or drive anywhere.”
Residents see more problems ahead when the cul-de-sac is linked with other areas of the development.
Mrs Proctor’s house will be on the corner of a new road joining London Road to Crabtree Road.
She added: “We never even had a note through the door about what they were planning.
“It’s the lack of consideration that bothers me the most. We just want a bit of respect and answers to why everything is being blocked off at once.”
Another Crabtree Road resident, Simon Smith (43), said: “It’s a mess. Footpaths have been closed and everyone has to walk the long way around the estate to get anywhere.”
He added that where footpaths had been closed there were no signs to direct people where to walk and some were forced to walk in the road.”
Plans for the redevelopment stalled in March 2011 but the work, on a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes, started up again last September.
Jackie Stanton, a former councillor for the area and member of the Derker Forum, added that while most people in Derker are happy about the redevelopment, they feel let down by the lack of information offered by the company.
“We raised objections about certain parts of the development but it was no use. You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, so the disruption can be overlooked. But we’re not being kept informed.”
Comments
They never seem to be happy on Derker... They moaned about the demolition, then they moaned about the wasteland, then they moaned about the lack of action.. Now there is action there moaning about that! I think they need to get a grip!
Seems wrong that Mrs.Proctor received no information about the new road adjacent to her home because I had a letter on Harcourt Street.I always thought that public footpaths were a right of way and would have at least expected a notice of impending closure to be mandatory and would suspect they can't just fence off without informing the public.They are also working on land at the corner of Bartlemore St which is outside their planning remit and is designated for landscaping on the plans.
The residents of St James Ward don't seem to like new housing schemes. Haven Lane residents say don't build here, please build on brownfield land. Meanwhile the usual suspects who objected to the demolition of unfit housing in Derker moan about the disruption caused by building new housing on brownfield land. Seems you can't please any of the people any of the time !
moan,moan,moan,thats all some people do in Derker.
As a Derker resident, the redevelopment of the vacant land can't come soon enough for me but I agree with the complaints about footpaths and public rights of way being simultaneously closed off without so much as a by your leave. I too wondered about the work on the corner of Bartlemoor Street, and why is the whole of Afghan Street Park fenced off? Although the redevelopment encroaches onto part of it, isn't most of it to remain as public open land? More communication wouldn't go amiss.
Saddleworth,maybe we should all move up to Saddleworth and join in the collective moan about being stuck in Lancashire.
Moan, Well the local people do have a lot to moan about. Not only has the local council broken up a strong comunity and left them with nothing, but a dank wilderness of empty houses wich could have been upgraded into liveable properties. they seem to be intent on furthering the misery of the occupants who remain in the area.I was brought up in derker and the people i grew up with are now facing a nightmare, wondering what sort of area it will become. long time residents will loose parking spaces
Residents who have lived in derker long term are at the risk of losing parking spaces, to suit the new infastructure.Play areas are being built on,so where do the youngsters play?. To me all these years of planning have not really amounted to nothing. but a typical slap dash approach to further failure.
They would complain & put in a claim if the building work wasn't fenced in & their children were hurt as a consequence.
NO we support the regeneration we need to be informed about what is happening after all we live here.
I have happily moved from derker. I lived on acre lane and was horrified. My paths were blocked on both sides and the team's had no time scheduled day. I worked nights and informed them but some mornings they would do an hour at half 8 in the morning then disappeared by which point I was awake. And if I tried to get sleep around 4 pm for the next night they would turn up again. I feel for the residents of derker I really do.
I hope all the non Derker residents who think the Derker locals are moaning never have to go through what the people who lost their homes went through. a lot of them had lived most of their lives in their homes. I hope this never happens to you
Oh what a pretty place to live Saddlleworth where you do not know wich rose to appreciate! You stay up there in cloud cuckoo land not knowing if you are arthur or martha in the county stakes.Well let me tell you the people of concern are the indigenous people who have lived there for years, from the industrial revoution when cotton was king ! "Dirt cart" is the latin name for Derker meaning " tip " we have puled are selves right out of that and we are not prepared to take anymore rubbish
Well said ragpud
I think NO-ONE would want to be in Derker right now, its about time that it was re-built and quick, I have friends on Derker and its a shame that a community was broken up by empty promises. I would moan about it but not if generation was about to start.
Have Your Say
Are these the same people who campaigned against demolition in the area? Now they are campaigning against construction.
By Alice @ 18/03/2013 13:26:08