This plan is not sound.
It dismisses the fact that it falls within Flood Zone 1, as identified by the EA in 2021. Further development will create further flooding from the proposed fields, as detailed below, making the area a prime site for flooding from 2 sides, both the existing flood plain and the fields.
It does not define what a ?sustainable location? means.
It does not state what an ?appropriate access? is or where it will be. There are already significant access and parking problems along this road, as detailed below.
The current site owners/developers have not consulted with their community and are interested in profit only at the expense of green space. The green spaces are the lungs of this area which help to clean the already polluted air and noise from the M6.
It does not consider the water drainage problems in the Statham green belt fields. The area already floods from the Trans Pennine trail down, Stockport Road to Warrington Road. It removes an area of natural beauty, the pond and copse which have stood for hundreds of years. The copse area is naturally boggy, marshy land which is impossible to walk through during rainy periods. There are also bats housed here which we see regular.
The bottom of the field near the school entrance is also always boggy and marshy and protrudes onto Warrington Road. Addition 100.s of tonnes of concrete will cause further flooding as there is no alternate natural water course apart from flood the road and onto the second proposed development area across Warrington Road.
When building the M6 viaduct extension, the Highways agency identified a serious drainage issue from the adjacent fields causing potential flooding to the properties on Warrington Road. They installed a huge underground pipework drainage system which runs to the rear of our property (no. 53) for a minimum of 200 metres, to prevent flooding from the inclined gradient from the adjacent fields. The brook must be viewed by the proposed developers to see the extent of water that falls from the fields to appreciate the litres and pace the water that is collected and travels to the next tunnel. The water eventually travels to the ship canal.
This does not fully alleviate the problem. In 2020, floodwater from the fields got into the electrical station for the motorway and caused a fire which put out all the lighting and signs on the M6. This flooding defence system is not fit for purpose, as we regularly have flooding in our back garden when the water in the purpose-built brook on our boundary rises by over 2 feet and floods our garden. This is without any concrete in the fields (i.e buildings) and due to the gradient of the field and the natural flow of water. The additional concrete from the viaduct runs on to these fields, hence the need for this system. Building on further adjacent fields will have the same consequence. Any development would have to incorporate a new and sophisticated underground drainage system to address the existing and significant drainage/flooding issues.
Flooding on Warrington Road caused by excessive water draining downwards from these fields in the planned development area caused a significant underground fire in 2020. This electrical underground fire caused the manhole cover to blow high into the air from a huge electrical fire which burnt the road, the wall and trees. It was classified as a major incident, with all emergency services present. Power supply was cut to all nearby houses including Pool Lane and Warrington Road was closed for 24 hours.
All these fields on the south of Warrington Road are steeply inclined down from the Trans Pennine Trail, and therefore have the same issues. There will be a requirement for huge investment in advanced drainage systems in order to build on any of them.
Both of the large fields in the proposals are surrounded by established trees and a full of wildlife. This area?s air is already compromised with air pollution by its proximity to the M6 motorway, a full study of air pollution levels in this area must be completed, particularly since it is next to a primary school. The level of noise pollution from the M6 must be fully assessed and considered, there is no evidence of this in the reports. The proposal is to remove essential greenbelt in one large area, when Government policy is to preserve green spaces and become carbon neutral. The fields have been used to graze horses and house wildlife for hundreds of years and should remain as 'lungs' for the community.
In view of COP 26, a full review of these proposals must consider protection of our green belt environment.
The plan has not considered the reduction in requirement for housing numbers since the 2014 proposals.
Building 170 houses creates approximately 340 cars further polluting the air. Warrington Road is narrow and many stretches have no pavement so public safety will be compromised.
The junction with the A56 at one end is insufficient and dangerous with an ongoing flooding problem, unresolved by recent roadworks in 2021. There is a very narrow sharp bend further along at the golf course, where 2 cars are unable to pass without mounting the pavement for a stretch of 100 metres. Once the other development on the site of the old Lymm Hotel is finished, there will be another huge increase in traffic along Warrington Road.
The police are currently monitoring the traffic and considering calming measures. At peak times, there will be a huge volume of traffic in to Lymm, horses being walked along the road and buses trying to get past, as well as the issues with the traffic congestion caused by school pick-ups at Statham Primary School. The road is not wide enough for parents to park to drop off their children and it is very problematic twice a day. Parents have to climb out on to the grass verge or step out into the one lane of passing traffic with their children. It is very dangerous for the families, and a full consideration of this hazard must be considered as it appears to be right at the entrance to the proposed development.
Lymm does not have enough schools for an additional estimate of 350 more children from this development (assuming 2 children per family for the size of family homes proposed). New primary and secondary schools will need to be built.
Lymm village centre is enclosed and characterful. It already struggles to meet demand with increasing numbers and certainly doesn?t have facilities to support huge developments and a much larger population.
There are insufficient GP surgery spaces already without this expansion, insufficient community services and amenities for the current population. Any new developments need to invest in putting extra resource into the community to serve the extra numbers.
The village will lose its identity. It is already overwhelmed with people, the percentage increase planned is ill considered. The village is being singled out. It will have HS2 on one boundary, the huge development at the M6 junction and increased lorries/pollution around the Stobart development, and now another huge environmental detriment on the Statham boundary.
The proposal lessens the gap with Thelwall and the comments made that there is sufficient boundary between the 2 areas are opinion only, they need facts.
The comments regarding Green Belt removal are dismissive and opinions from interested parties. We need impartial assessment from an external source. The directive is to build where possible on Brownfield sites and this proposal is not in line with this government?s current environmental policies directive. It is therefore unsound.