URGENT – PROTECT OUR STREETS – HAVE YOUR SAY

1. Important: Please Object to Condition 13 (Construction Traffic Plan)

Many of you will be aware that the developer is currently trying to discharge Condition 13 (Construction Traffic Management Plan) for the site off Mirrlees Drive.

The original application and appeal was based on all construction traffic being routed via Mirrlees Drive and outline permission was granted on that basis. At the reserved matters stage Kellen Homes have been trying to get the council to allow access to the construction site via Flowery Field / Lowland Road, the initial request was for a period of 20 months, The council refused this and asked the developer to resubmit, a second submission was made for 30 weeks, this was also refused by the council.

The councils’ comments on the (2nd) revised application noted the reduced the period of construction traffic accessing the site from Flowery Fields from 20 months to 7 months, however, this remains a significant duration. Furthermore, it allows for continued access by cars and vans beyond this period. While the impact would be reduced compared to the previous proposals, substantial numbers of vehicles and plant, including HGVs, would still use residential roads that are unsuitable for such traffic due to their layout and on-street parking.

The Transport Assessment for the outline application anticipated construction access via Mirrlees Drive, and the planning officers have previously stated that construction access from Flowery Fields or Lowland Road would be unacceptable. Condition 12 of the planning permission requires all vehicular access to be from Bramhall Moor Lane and does not distinguish between construction and occupation phases. As no justification has been provided for departing from this requirement, they maintain that construction access via Flowery Fields would be contrary to Condition 12, harmful to highway safety, and detrimental to residential amenity.

In the last few days, a third submission asking for access for 20 weeks has been submitted to the council.

Having read this latest submission carefully, many of us have serious concerns.

In short: the wording is too loose and would allow the developer to use Flowery Fields and Lowland Road for construction traffic, this could be from 30-60 HGV’s per day, with some vehicles being as much as 13 meters long, despite these roads being narrow, residential, and heavily used by school children.

This goes against the planning permission, which clearly shows the Flowery Fields access as emergency access only.

Key issues:

• Flowery Fields and Lowland Road are not suitable for HGVs
• These roads are used daily by children and pedestrians
• The current wording leaves “wriggle room” that would make enforcement very difficult
• Once approved, it will be extremely hard to stop construction traffic later
•  

We are not objecting to development — we are objecting to unsafe and non-compliant construction access.

What we are asking for:

The Construction Traffic Management Plan must clearly state that:

• Flowery Fields is emergency access only
• No construction traffic, deliveries, loading or unloading is permitted via Flowery Fields or Lowland Road
• All construction traffic must use the approved Mirrlees Drive access

What you can do:

Please take 2–3 minutes to register here https://planning.stockport.gov.uk/PlanningData-live/registrationWizard.do?action=start&keyVal=T75XZKPJMV800&activeTab=makeComment&caseType=Application

Once registered and logged in, you can submit an objection/comment on the planning portal.

• Reference: Condition 13 – Construction Traffic Management Plan

Please note there is a 30-minute time out when making comments. When making a comment, we strongly recommend you draft these first in a word processing software (such as Word, notepad) and then copy/paste your comments into the comments text box.

You don’t need to write an essay — even a short comment helps. We need the council to see the strength of feeling and get them to stick to their guns.

Some suggested comments (feel free to adapt):

“I object to the discharge of Condition 13 as currently drafted. Flowery Fields and Lowland Road are narrow residential roads used by school children and are not suitable for construction traffic or HGVs. The planning permission shows Flowery Fields as emergency access only, and the CTMP must state this clearly to avoid misuse and enforcement issues.”

“Representatives from Kellen Homes have repeatedly insisted at public meetings that construction traffic would be via Mirrlees Drive, for them to try and move the goalposts now is dishonest”.

“Construction access via the narrow Woodsmoor streets would be unsafe and inappropriate. Large vehicles would struggle to navigate existing traffic-calming measures and may ignore the railway bridge weight restriction. These streets also form a key walking route to the local primary school, putting children at risk. Chronic congestion from all-day parking due to the lack of a station car park would be exacerbated, and there is a risk of renewed subsidence on Flowery Fields from heavy vehicles using a road not designed for such traffic.”

Numbers matter. The more residents who comment, the harder it is for this to be waved through quietly. Please share with your friends and neighbours – Thanks everyone