Residents battling a £37million scheme to build 104 new homes in the middle of Altrincham have been backed by their local MP. Sir Graham Brady, who represents Altrincham and Sale West, has written to Trafford council to add his weight people living on New Street.
He and the residents are voicing concern about the loss of the 'New Street Garden', which Sir Graham describes as 'a cherished green space'. Trafford Housing Trust (THT) has applied to build the new homes, some of which are projected to sell for £600,000-plus.
But residents of the narrow street where Victorian cottages adorn both sides say they are plagued by motorists using New Street as a 'rat run' driving at 'ridiculous speeds' and parking outside their homes is already a 'major issue'. Sir Graham has now written to Trafford council's corporate director of place Richard Roe explaining he has received 'a considerable amount of correspondence' from residents with concerns about the impact of the proposed development in its current form.
He said he was writing to 'emphasise those concerns and encourage a less dense development'. "Of particular concern among residents is the loss of the [New Street] Garden," he wrote.
"This small green bordering the south west corner of Lloyd Gardens is a cherished green space. It is particularly sad to contemplate the loss of this area, given the effort invested into enhancing it. Residents have planted and maintained a flower border and previously raised funds to purchase a 'reflection bench'."
Sir Graham goes on to say a further concern is access to parking. "While general parking in the area will be supported by the new multi-storey car park at 'The Address' development, the density of the New Street development is likely to blight residents' access to on-street parking in the immediate area," he wrote.
"This is of particular concern for elderly residents on New Street, reliant on spaces being available close by. I would therefore emphasise the need to ensure that access to convenient parking is maintained for existing residents."
Sir Graham said that while he supported the regeneration of 'such eligible sites' in Altrincham it is important that green space is preserved and that access to parking for residents is guaranteed. A spokesperson for Trafford council said: “We have received Sir Graham’s letter and we welcome his interest in this proposed development.
“As his letter is in relation to a current planning application, it has been passed to the council’s planning team as a representation. It will then be considered as part of the overall assessment of the scheme before the application is presented to our planning committee for consideration.”
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