No appreciation of impact

I REFER to the Land of Bankfield Lane. DC2017/00821 planning permission granted by Sefton Council and your recent article in the Southport Visiter.

The issues highlighted by your article are just the tip of a large iceberg connected with the whole process of how this application came to be granted.

Despite the vehement opposition of many and varied parties this application was granted by Sefton Council in face of very thoroughly researched and well argued points by residents and businesses alike.

I was present at the first planning meeting held for this application at the Royal Clifton Hotel, Southport.

At that meeting the application was deferred for further action by Wainhomes.

Even now, after the application was approved at a follow-up meeting, neither Sefton Council nor Wainhomes can tell us… the people who live, work and play in and around Churchtown how the following points will be addressed: Ground water drainage

Sewage removal

Destruction of Japanese Knotweed found on the site

Access to and from the site by heavy plant vehicles and large delivery vehicles.

There is a weight restriction on the bridge on Bankfield Lane and through Churchtown village.

Traffic management on a busy main road where access is gained to one of the largest Primary schools in the UK.

Churchtown Primary School has in excess of 900 pupils and it is, to say the least, busy at each end of the school day.

There is no spare capacity now in the local health centre. How will another 200-plus households gain admission to GP services?

Flooding is an issue, we live on a site that regularly floods from the combined rainwater/sewer system out onto the road, as it drains away again residue sewage is left on the pavement.

The system can’t cope now. How on earth will it cope with another 200/300 houses connected to it?

Consultation with the local community has been pretty much non-existent.

The whole process is in my opinion shrouded in secrecy by Wainhomes and Sefton Council who just don’t appear to care one jot about the impact this development will have on the community.

Whilst we appreciate the need for new housing there are several brown land sites earmarked for housing in the vicinity.

Common sense would suggest that demolishing these derelict factories and building on these first is a more sensible option than building on greenbelt land.

Sefton however, as was shown at the meeting, is run by south Sefton and Bootle, thus the age-old problem for those in north Sefton – we are unrepresented unheard and uncared for, provided we remain the cash cow for Bootle. Bev Coward

Via email

OPEN STREETS AGAIN

A GENERATION ago children would play outside in the street.

Closing a street can be be costly with advanced planning and the need to advertise well in advance. New measures have been put in place to get children away from screens and have a ‘kick about.’

Residents can have small community and sporting events free of traffic without the expense of advertising closures.

Councils can make special event orders which do not need to be advertised.

This can bring communities together.

Bernard Powell, Southport