Group's fight to save land

PROTEST . . . campaigners in Royton

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TRAFFIC, pollution and a reduction in open space are the main concerns of hundreds of residents in Royton as they band together to raise awareness of the proposals for the area and prepare to fight them.

The group, known as "Save Royton's Greenbelt", has rapidly grown in response to the plans to build 600 houses on land known as Hanging Chadder and have already distributed leaflets in the community.

The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework report states: "The location of the site on the edge of rural area and in a strong housing market provides the potential for a range of high quality housing in an attractive place.

"Such development will enhance the housing offer in the borough and given the scale of the site, will contribute to the delivery of Oldham's housing need as the site has a capacity for around 600 new homes."

The group are also concerned about a second proposal for Royton, which would see a further 2,800 homes with 480,000m2 of commercial buildings on land by the A627M and Tandle Hill Country Park.

The report adds that there would need to be "significant public transport improvement" in the area and that consideration should be given to the views of the development from the park.

Noel Mahon, of Save Royton's Greenbelt, said: "Normally there has to be 'very special circumstances' to allow building on green belt and even then, construction is not anywhere near the scale of these proposals.

"There are no 'very special circumstances' that would apply in this case to allow developers to disregard Royton's greenbelt.

"As residents, we have many concerns including the huge increase in traffic, noise and air pollution that these proposed developments would bring to the area, not to mention the huge reduction in open space which is the whole idea of greenbelt.

"Can anyone imagine visiting Tandle Hill and looking out from the monument onto thousands of houses and industrial buildings?"

He added that road safety is already a concern in the area and there are fears that an increase in traffic could increase the danger on the roads.

Mr Mahon said: "My children both attend Thornham St James' Primary School and walk along Narrowgate Brow and Castleton road twice daily.

"Crossing the road at The Puckersley Inn junction is already dangerous and any other parents with children at the school know that any increase in traffic would be disastrous.

"With an average of two cars per proposed household, the plans would result in an added 6,800 cars between the two areas.

"Our local roads have been at full capacity for many years.

"Many have not been resurfaced for decades.

Mr Mahon said: "We are encouraging Royton residents to put their objections to the GMSF in writing and have all the information they need to do this effectively on our Facebook page, Save Royton's Greenbelt."