A developer’s bid to create a controversial road junction and new houses on farmland in Churchtown in Southport look set to be approved.
The Wain Homes scheme would see nine new houses built next to the bridge on Bankfield Lane, which some local residents believe is “an obvious safety hazard”.
However Sefton Council’s Planning officers, and their Highways colleagues, believe the proposals should be approved and that there is no threat to motorists’ safety.
The application will be decided by councillors on Sefton Council’s Planning Committee at Bootle Town Hall this Wednesday (10th April 2024).
A petition and several letters of objection have been submitted by concerned local residents in the area.
The proposal is a revised, smaller part of a major development which will see 328 new properties constructed on farmland at Bankfield Lane.
A total of 158 new houses are currently under construction on the other side of the bridge, on the site of the former Philips Factory.
A petition endorsed by Cllr Lewis has been submitted to Sefton Council, objecting to the proposal on grounds that the proposed entrance would be dangerous and would not comply with the Local Plan. Also, that the plan would be detrimental to residential amenity.
Representation has been received from residents on Blundell Lane, The Grange, The Mallards, Bankfield Lane, Merlewood Avenue objecting to the proposed development.
This new access would serve 6 houses within the development, with the other 3 houses continuing to gain access from the approved highway network associated with the previous approval access via a widened Blundells Lane.
One resident said: “I think there’s little doubt that if this proposal had been put forward as part of the original scheme it would have been rejected on the grounds that the development of this site must take all vehicular access from an expanded Blundell Lane. Therefore it should be rejected.”
Another said: “Wainhomes suggest the development will take approximately 9 years to complete and the show homes available for most of this period; for this reason one cannot argue that this cul-de-sac is ‘temporary’!”
Another said: “What account has been taken of the business immediately opposite this development as it has in recent times expanded and generates more traffic and increases local parking. The traffic from this business tends to drive down Bankfiel Lane towards its site that is located along Blundells Lane.”
In his report, Sefton Council Chief Planning Officer Derek McKenzie writes: “This application was previously discussed by members of the Planning Committee on 29th June 2022, who deferred the application to enable further traffic surveys to be undertaken and review of the content of the Construction Traffic Management Plan to be carried out.
“The applicant has since carried out a further traffic survey on Bankfield Lane to try and address the highway issues raised at the Planning Committee.
“This has been reviewed by the Council’s Highways Manager who has raised no objections and is satisfied that the proposal would not give rise to highway safety concerns.
“It is acknowledged that the proposed access under the current application would not fully comply with the site-specific requirements set out in the Local Plan.
“However, given the proposed access would serve a small number of units and not the wider development, and would not raise any other concern, it is considered that on balance the proposal is acceptable.
“At the June 2022 planning committee, members expressed concern regarding the access and the impact on highway safety. In particular, members acknowledged that the houses would be used as show homes and expressed concern regarding the impact this would have at the proposed traffic junction on Bankfield Lane. The applicant has since submitted further traffic surveys to address the concerns of the Planning Committee.”
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