Residents ‘gutted’ over traffic calming scheme decision

After a months-long stalemate with Oldham Council, a development in Moorside has been given the green light for completion – but residents aren’t happy.

Progress on 23 new homes off Haven Lane came to a standstill earlier in June after the council threw out new plans submitted by developers Cube for a traffic calming scheme. 

Permission for the new homes was granted in 2019 – but on the condition that Cube tackles a ‘dangerous’ access point to the development before a single home can be occupied.  

But as the homes were nearing completion, a new traffic calming scheme proposed by the developers left locals outraged.

The plans involving speed cushions; a narrowed lane; and a raised junction were described as a ‘kick in the teeth’ to local families due to the impact on parking and noise.  

At a planning meeting in October, the council finally came to a resolution with developers, who put forward two proposals.

One – rejected by councillors – involved removing the conditions entirely, which would have left the council having to foot the bill for designing and implementing a road safety scheme.

The second suggested an amendment, which would mean the houses could be completed and rented out before the road features were in situ, but the developers would have to come to an agreement with locals and implement a scheme within a year.

The amendment was ultimately voted through by the council. 

Speaking at the meeting, local councillor Josh Charters said: “I’m happy that a conclusion has been reached on this development, as residents have had to live with uncertainty and a lot of trouble with contractors whilst this development is being completed. 

“I hope that consultation with residents throughout the Traffic Regulation Order process allows for a scheme that is acceptable to all.” 

But representative for the Moorside East Residents Association, Trevor Cash, told the meeting the amendment would ‘put the local authority at odds with the local residents’ and worried the new conditions would not be ‘enforceable’, leaving them unprotected. 

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Cash added: “The residents are gutted that once again our safety is ignored.” 

But the decision marks the conclusion of a prolonged eight-year planning process, with the first application for the £7m project submitted to the council in 2016.

The development was initially rejected by the council, but that decision was later overturned by the planning inspectorate due to ‘unreasonable behaviour’, costing the council around £35k.

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