Parish backs woods battle

Shaw and Crompton Parish Council Planning Committee

PARISH councillors have again backed campaigners by recommending plans to build at Crompton Hall Wood are refused.

Developer Vian Homes wants to build eight houses at the Shaw beauty spot off Buckstones Road but Crompton Hall Action Group say it will destroy woodland and wildlife.

Two years ago, the group, which had seen off six sets of plans over three years, was forced to concede defeat after a planning inspector approved the building 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.

It submitted a new application to build eight houses but these have since been tweaked yet again.

The parish council’s planning committee has stuck to the same reasons for recommending refusal — on the grounds that it will have an adverse effect on traffic and the loss of neighbours’ amenity and facilities.

Vian has previously attracted criticism for repeatedly submitting modified plans.

The protesters say the wood is a special place and a site of Scientific and Biological Interest (SBI) that should be saved to protect flora, fauna and rare species of wildlife.

Oldham Council will now rule on the plans.