An Oldham school headteacher has responded after the way people are parking nearby was slammed as a ‘nightmare’.
At an Oldham council planning committee, councillors considered outline plans for up to 37 affordable homes to be built on land at the back of 69 Broadway in Royton. The actual amount of homes that could be built may be fewer once plans are fully fleshed out.
The land is a green space but would be turned into a number of three and four bedroom houses with driveways and private gardens. Part of the land is currently at some risk of flooding but further investigations has found housing is possible in the area.
Ahead of the meeting, an officer report said: “The provision of affordable homes attracts substantial weight in favour of the development, particularly having regard to the identified and ongoing need for affordable housing within the borough.
“The site is located within the urban area and in a sustainable location, with convenient access to public transport, local services, schools, employment opportunities and community facilities.”
However councillors ultimately decided to reject the plans. The decision was largely based on highways safety grounds after issues were raised about parking linked to The Oldham Academy North school nearby. Some abstained.
At the meeting, Royton South councillor Maggie Hurley said: “This stretch of road is notorious,” adding: “Park on the pavement all the way up both sides of Broadway. That restricts people’s vision.”
She said: “Shouldn’t we be fixing something before we start adding to the problem? Because that school causes a nightmare.
“I drive down there every single day. They are parked on the pavement. If you are trying to come out, you cannot see because there’s cars parked there.”
Officers clarified the council has to assess applications as they are submitted. Their assessment of the road network suggested the 37 homes would have a negligible impact with ‘incredibly low’ traffic movement and they could not fix any issues related to the school within the scope of the planning application.
Coun Hurley later called Broadway a ‘dangerous road’, adding: “I am not being unreasonable. I am trying to save someone’s life before something dangerous happens. These people cannot see to drive onto Broadway because of lack of visibility.”
Think Map data spanning from 2020 to 2025 shows several accidents have occurred on Broadway but none within 300m of the proposed access point.
However Reform councillor Andy Brooks said he felt uneasy about the plans, adding: “You are asking us to get on a plane and we’ll do the safety checks after we’ve taken off here.
“We should be seeing the safety measures that’s going to be in place before we can grant something like this at least.”
In response to the concerns raised about parking, headteacher for the school Natalie Kennerley said: “We recognise the challenges that school pick-up and drop-off can create on local roads, and we regularly remind our families of the importance of parking safely and considerately. We are happy to work with the relevant authorities to support efforts to address these challenges.”
