Keb Lane fighters slam revised plan for homes

UP in arms . . . Deborah Barratt

BARDSLEY residents said they have been "disregarded" by developers who have re-submitted plans for a 28-property build.

In April, Oldham Council's planning committee took the decision to defer consent for 26 rent-to-buy properties at a site south of Keb Lane which is currently used as informal open space.

A front-line confrontation ensued between First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) and campaigners over the felling of trees at the site in March this year.

Not-for-profit housing association FCHO said it had held a public consultation and was working with Oldham Council to design a "suitable residential development."

Changes have been made to the scheme in response to the findings and a ground investigation as part of FCHO's delivery of 800 new homes in Oldham over the next five years to help address the housing crisis.

Plans for an access road via Keb Lane have been ditched in favour of a new road leading from Levington Drive, and two bungalows have been added to the formerly proposed 26 houses as well as additional driveways.

Debra Grice of Merlin Close said: "The newly submitted plans are terrible. Levington Drive is narrower than Keb Lane and residents cause just as much congestion.

"The site is inaccessible from both sides without causing danger to residents with highways problems."

A total of 28 parking spaces are proposed for the front and sides of each property, while 14 individual trees among other tree groups would be cut down at the 0.83hectare site to make way for the two and three-bedroom homes.

Resident Judith Ogden said: "Planning objections are allowed on parking, loss of open space and loss of privacy. This development ticks all these points for refusal.

"Services like doctors, dentists and schools are already oversubscribed in the area and could not cope with an influx of over 100 people."

While Deborah Barratt of Levington Drive, who is also a committee member of Bardsley Community and Playing Fields Association, said: "We are up in arms about the re-submitted plans. Levington Drive is an even worse access road than Keb Lane.

"They will cause congestion along Keb Lane as they want to have six houses with driveways coming off the lane.

"They have found asbestos and arsenic in the soil samples that once they started to dig would become airborne.

"We will fight this planning application."

A report published by GRM Development Solutions Limited (GRM) in June this year said there were concentrations of arsenic, lead and Benzoapyrene "in excess of the thresholds" in the land, a problem which could be solved by replacing the 'Made Ground' with clean material.

Homes and Investment Director of FCH Dave Woods said: "Following feedback from consultation, we have been working with Oldham Council Planning Authority to design a sustainable residential development. FCH has undertaken thorough ground investigation and has developed the scheme in response to the findings.

"FCHO is committed to delivering at least 800 new homes across the borough over the next five years to help address the housing crisis and to assist the circa 18,800 people currently on the waiting list for affordable homes across Oldham.

"The new homes on Keb Lane will meet modern standards in terms of thermal comfort, energy efficiency and environmental impact and will all have off road parking."