‘Hands off Foxdenton’ say protesters

RESIDENTS gather for the protest walk at Foxdenton

MORE than 100 protesters took part in a demonstration to vent their anger over controversial plans to develop green land in Chadderton

Despite only being organised in three days, four generations of locals turned up to support yesterday’s event.

The £100 million plans will see a business park and up to 500 homes built across a 120 acre site.

Foxdenton. A joint venture owned by Bolton-based Seddon and Oldham’s Grasscroft Property Company, has submitted the planning application. Residents have complained about a lack of consultation.

Protest walk organiser John Walton of the Ramblers Association said: “We did this walk to explain to the general public the tragic loss and disruption if this development goes ahead.

Louise and Tim Boycott did the walk, along with their two-year-old daughter Abigail.

“Our concerns are for Abigail’s future — heavily congested roads, and lack of schools and public facilities for her,” Louise said.

“We moved here because we love this green space. We don’t want more HGVs here.”

Tim added: “My concern is the disruption a development of this scale will cause for years. It was bad enough when the school was being built.”