A new development next to Haydock Park deemed to risk causing ‘dangerous and inconvenient’ levels of traffic by one councillor is set to go ahead following approval from Wigan Council’s Planning Committee. Two bungalows on Windsor Road near Ashton, owned by applicants Jockey Club Racecourses, will be demolished to make way for 84 new homes.
This road already has traffic issues, which nearby residents believe would be made significantly worse by this development. The site is currently used by the racecourse as an overflow car park on very few occasions throughout the year when meets take place.
Representatives from the racecourse assured councillors that there will be enough parking on future race days without this site.
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“Our issue with this is the access,” Michael Hadland told Wigan Town Hall, representing the neighbours to the site. “The traffic problems and the lack of space around the land significantly outweighs the benefits of this.
“The likely impact on the access route is dangerous and requires mitigation. The highway's impact should be deemed as severe.
“We request that this planning application is refused.”
Windsor Road is used as a bypass from Warrington which has heavy traffic, according to objectors who believe the area does not have capacity for more houses. Objectors also claim that this could lead to smaller roads becoming rat runs.
The need for housing is something that was raised by Councillor Stephen Hellier who saw this proposal as acceptable and was “perfectly happy to support it”. Objectors had raised a point that there was a lack of need for more housing - this was rubbished by the councillor who referenced the current housing crisis and the thousands waiting for council housing in Wigan.
The debate around access on Windsor Road was brought up by councillors who believed there was another option to use the road normally for access to the racecourse - but this option was not taken due to security issues, Jockey Club said. Coun Kath Houlton led the voices opposing this application.
“The impact on the access road is dangerous, overcrowded and inconvenient,” she said. “There are other access points and if there are security problems that is their problem not the residents'.”
The highways team raised no objections to the application as they believed this would not cause a significant impact to road infrastructure - a requirement for this to be deemed worthy of refusal. According to the officer’s report, “the principle of residential development is considered acceptable and all matters relating to highways have been sufficiently addressed to officers’ satisfaction”.
A spokesman for Jockey Club Racecourses said: “As part of the Local Plan, Wigan Council has recognised a significant need for housing in the area and identified a parcel of land within Haydock Park as a preferred site for development. As a result and following positive pre-application consultation with Wigan Council and a public consultation we have prepared and submitted an outline planning application for up to 84 residential homes including a policy compliant number of affordable homes.
“Development on the site would have no impact whatsoever on racing at Haydock Park or affect any of the facilities, including parking and access to the racecourse.”
The application was approved by the committee with a slim majority of five votes to four.
