It’s a close shave

A tight turn into the Chadderton Mill.

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ANGRY Chadderton residents are urging Oldham Council to intervene after spotting 40-tonne goods lorries making “dangerous” manoeuvres to squeeze down a narrow road to access a mill near their homes.

Residents on Fields New Road and Denton Lane have raised concerns about the safety of wagons using the route to access Chadderton Mill, after vehicles were seen mounting the pavement and coming within inches of the walls of their homes and local shops.

Some also say they worry that their cars will be damaged by lorries in the area while others say their privacy is being invaded by drivers parking outside their homes during the day and sometimes overnight.

The residents say the problems on Fields New Road, which is the only access road to Chadderton Mill, first started when MSL (UK) Ltd began occupying the mill in February, 2014.

Andy Harrison (28), who lives on Fields New Road, said: “It’s so dangerous.

The road and the surrounding area is tight for normal vehicles, never mind these huge lorries.

“There is a school just down the road and a pelican crossing yards away so children are always in the area. We are all worried what might happen if a child steps onto the road at the wrong time.”

Asrar Ahmed, who owns Chadderton News on the corner of the road, says his business has been affected as well.

Mr Ahmed said: “People are avoiding my store because of this issue.

“They are worried about parking next to the shop because they see the wagons turning and getting dangerously close.

“My family also live upstairs and my children are scared of the trucks.

“They hear how loud they are and see how close they get to our walls.

“Something needs to be done urgently.”

Another resident, who did not want to be named for fear of repercussions from the drivers, said: “It’s a nightmare.

“The road is simply not suited for use by these kinds of wagons, they’re too big.

“They mount the curb around a tight corner and you can see damage on the walls where they’ve been hit when a driver misjudged the turn.

“We’ve had problems with drivers parking outside our homes, with their engines running in the middle of the night, waiting to access the site.

“The noise is so loud you can’t sleep, the house shakes when they drive past and you can’t open your curtains because the drivers can look in.”

Residents from neighbouring Denton Lane are also concerned about the increase of HGVs on their street and have petitioned the council for a weight restriction on the road.

One resident said: “These wagons are coming from all over the country and abroad to use the storage facilities at the mill.

“Because of the size of the vehicles and the problem turning into the mill, drivers were being told to use Denton Lane to approach the mill.

“This has caused an increase in HGV traffic and the lane simply cannot cope with it.

“Cracks are appearing in the road and there is significant damage to the surface.”

Imran Younus, commercial and marketing director for Pin Property Consultancy, which manages Chadderton Mill, said they are aware of the complaints raised by the local residents and share their concerns about the access road.

He said: “This is an issue that has been ongoing for a while now and we’ve had meetings with residents and the council to address the issue.

“We share the concerns of the residents regarding the access to the site and have asked Oldham Council to look into how it can be improved to allow easier access to the mill and ease the fears of residents.”

He added that they have lobbied for double yellow lines to be put on the road outside the mill and have offered residents alternative parking space on their land as a gesture of good-will, a gesture that has not been well received by residents who argue they should not have to park their cars so far away from their homes.

Mr Younus continued: “From our point of view, we have spent £1 million refurbishing what was a derelict mill and have attracted this growing company to the area and created 20 jobs.

“It is an industrial mill and so, whatever company is based there, it will always require access by lorries and, due to poor housing planning, there is only one narrow access road.”

Debra Briffa, managing director of MSL (UK) Ltd, said she did not wish to comment on the complaints, but assured residents that they are working with the council to rectify the issue.

A council spokesperson said: “Oldham Council is working with the residents and the mill owners to find the best possible solution.”

As the mill has operated as a storage facility before, the owners have claimed a certificate of lawfulness, meaning planning permission did not have to be applied for when the new business moved in.

However officers have requested that information to support this position is supplied with a full planning application required if it is not made available.