Leyland housing estate plan rejected over road safety fears
Plans to build a new housing estate have been rejected by councillors amid concerns it could pose a danger to children walking to and from a school.An application for a 23-home development on land off Cocker Lane in Moss Side, Leyland, was rejected by South Ribble Borough Council's planning committee.The Friends of Cocker Lane group said they were "relieved" by the decision but were prepared to "fight on" in the event of an appeal.Chris Betteridge, acting on behalf of the applicants, said the development came with "a number of improvements to Cocker Lane…which will enhance [it] and provide a safer route for all users – not just those of the proposed development".
He said it would be particularly beneficial for the schoolchildren who currently have "no choice but to walk in the road", the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.The committee was told that up to 150 children used Cocker Lane to get to and from school at any one time, usually walking in the road, due to the lack of a footpath between the junction with Birchwood and the proposed development site.Resident Adrian Dean said a proposed 1.8m-wide pavement was not enough to "safely accommodate the hundreds of school children that walk the lane every school day".Mother-of-two Abigail Saunders quoted a comment from Moss Side Primary headteacher Andrew Wright, in which he said the estate created a scenario "where an accident is near-certain to occur involving children, either outside our school or on the roads close by".Addressing committee members, Ms Saunders said: "Are you happy to roll the dice…with my child's life?"A plan submitted on behalf of applicant BW SIPP Trustees Ltd proposed the creation of a continuous pavement on the south side of Cocker Lane, to replace the narrow grass verge that currently exists, along with the removal of the equivalent strip of greenery on the north side to allow the road to be slightly widened.Cocker Lane resident Michael Johnson told members that if a grass verge was removed as part of the plans then residents would need to stand in the road to trim their hedgerows.Mr Johnson described it as "a plan that might seem to fit on a piece of paper, but is hazardous in practice".The proposal was refused on the grounds it would have a "detrimental" impact on the character of the immediate area, after councillors were advised it would be difficult to defend a rejection on road safety grounds as highways bosses at Lancashire County Council were satisfied with the plans.However, the meeting heard it had taken seven reworkings of the blueprint to persuade the county council that the largely pavement-free route could be made safe for both construction traffic and the increase in vehicles generated by the new homeowners.Mark Devenish, a consultant from SCP acting on behalf of the applicant, told the committee that the repeated rethinks surrounding the road layout were a positive and it was normal for several revisions of a scheme to be submitted.
'Inappropriate application'
Moss Side ward councillor Michael Green said this was "probably the most inappropriate application" he had ever seen in nearly 20 years representing the area.He said the design "effectively shoehorns the scheme into the locality as tightly as you could possibly imagine".Councillor Phil Smith said his concerns about the plans had only been strengthened by a site visit after members deferred a decision at the last committee meeting.Councillor Elaine Stringfellow said she had seen children wearing headphones and looking down at their phones while walking in the road which left her thinking "how much better it would be if there was a pathway there…that was continuous". Permission was refused by six votes to two on character and visual appearance grounds.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
31 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ministers ‘abusing' anti-terror laws against Palestine activists
Former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf has said the Government is 'abusing' anti-terror laws against pro- Palestine activists as tens of thousands of protesters marched in London. A protest organised by groups under the Palestine Coalition banner marched to Whitehall from Russell Square in central London on Saturday afternoon. Organisers estimated that 350,000 people attended the protest, with those marching waving Palestinian flags and chanting 'free, free Palestine' and 'stop bombing Iran'. Many protesters chanted 'shame on you' as they walked past dozens of counter-protesters, organised by pro-Israeli group Stop The Hate, near Waterloo Bridge. The Metropolitan Police said a person was arrested after a bottle was thrown towards the counter-protesters. They added that 'a group appeared on Waterloo Bridge trying to block traffic' following the protest, with officers intervening to clear the road. The demonstrations come after reports on Friday that the Home Secretary will ban Palestine Action after the group vandalised two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton. Yvette Cooper has decided to proscribe the group, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action, after footage posted online showed two people inside the RAF base, with one appearing to spray paint into an aircraft's jet engine. Addressing crowds at the national march for Palestine in Whitehall, former SNP leader Mr Yousaf said: 'While we stand a stone's throw from Downing Street, let's make it clear to the Prime Minister: You try to intimidate us with your anti-terror laws by abusing them, but you'll never silence us as we speak out against the genocide that you're supporting. 'We're not the terrorists – the ones that are literally killing children, they are the terrorists.' A pro-Palestine protester said it was 'absolutely horrendous' that the Government is preparing to ban Palestine Action. Artist Hannah Woodhouse, 61, told the PA news agency: 'The Government, since yesterday, have said they're also going to start to try to proscribe peace activists who are trying to take action against the genocide – so Palestine Action are now being targeted by our Government, which is absolutely horrendous.' Ms Woodhouse, who is from London, added: 'Counter-terrorism measures, it seems, are being used against non-violent peace protesters. 'The peace activists are trying to do the Government's job, which is to disarm Israel. The duty of any government right now is to disarm a genocidal state.' Musician Paloma Faith told pro-Palestine campaigners that she would not 'stick to music and stay away from politics'. Speaking to crowds at the march, the songwriter, 43, added: 'Those who facilitate these crimes against humanity need to be made accountable, not those of us who are compassionate and humane enough to stand against it.' Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told protesters that politicians were seeking to 'turn people who protest against the invasion of Iran or the occupation of Palestine into terrorists'. Some protesters were carrying Iran flags, with others hoisting signs – distributed by the Islamic Human Rights Commission – that read 'choose the right side of history' alongside a photo of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Human rights group Liberty said banning Palestine Action 'would be a huge step change in how counter-terror laws are applied'. Sam Grant, its external affairs director, said in a statement: 'Targeting a protest group with terrorism powers in this way is a shocking escalation of the Government's crackdown on protest and we urge the Home Secretary to rethink. 'It's clear the actions of Palestine Action don't meet the Government's own proportionality test to be proscribed as a terrorist group, but the consequences for the group's supporters if ministers go ahead would be heavy – with things like wearing their logo carrying prison sentences. 'This move needs to be viewed in light of the sustained crackdowns on protest we have seen from successive governments over recent years, and the worrying fact that there are more and more non-violent protesters spending years in prison.' The Palestine Coalition is comprised of a number of different groups, including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Stop The War.
The Independent
31 minutes ago
- The Independent
Kneecap Glastonbury slot ‘not appropriate', says Starmer
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not think Kneecap's planned Glastonbury Festival performance is 'appropriate'. He made the comments after Kneecap member Liam Og O hAnnaidh appeared in court on Wednesday, after being charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. In an interview with The Sun, Sir Keir was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury, to which he replied: 'No, I don't, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this. 'This is about the threats that shouldn't be made, I won't say too much because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate.' It comes after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC 'should not be showing' Kneecap's performance at the festival next week. Mrs Badenoch said in the X post, which was accompanied by an article from The Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group: 'The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. 'One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. 'As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.' The Tory Leader of the Opposition has previously called for the group to be banned from Glastonbury, and last year Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK Government in Belfast High Court after she tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister. Kneecap took aim at Mrs Badenoch in their latest single, The Recap, released just before their headline set at London's Wide Awake festival in May, with the song mocking the politician's attempts to block their arts funding and the Conservative Party's election loss. On Wednesday, O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts. During the proceedings, a prosecutor told the court the 27-year-old is 'well within his rights' to voice his opinions on Israel and Palestine, but the alleged incident at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, is a 'wholly different thing'. O hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20. Following the hearing, the rapper said: 'For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday. 'If you can't be there we'll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We'll be at Wembley in September. 'But most importantly: free, free Palestine.' The charge came following a counter-terrorism police investigation after the historical gig footage came to light, which also allegedly shows the group calling for the deaths of MPs. In April, Kneecap apologised to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been 'exploited and weaponised'. In an initial post in response to the charge, Kneecap said: '14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us. 'We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves, this is political policing, this is a carnival of distraction. 'We are not the story, genocide is, as they profit from genocide, they use an 'anti-terror law' against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage. A charge not serious enough to even warrant their crown court, instead a court that doesn't have a jury. What's the objective? 'To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out. 'Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification. 'The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.' Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics in both Irish and English and their merchandise. Their best-known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live, featuring Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, and 3Cag. A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. 'Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our output will be made in the lead-up to the festival.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Lucie Southall: Brother vows 'never again' after 21-hour walk
A brother from Redditch has vowed "never again" after walking more than 50 miles through the night in tribute of his late sister. Ashley Southall, from Redditch, lost his 12-year-old sister Lucie when she died from leukaemia in 2013. Her family set up the Lucie Southall Leukaemia Fund a year later to raise money for charity through challenges and events. The 31-year-old completed the challenging on Saturday, walking through fields, bridleways, canals and footpaths in a mammoth 21-hour stint. The route took him and friend from Lucie's dedicated bench in Arrow Valley Lake to Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham. The centre provides en-suite bedrooms for family members whose children are being treated at Birmingham Children's Hospital. It can accommodate up to 60 families at any one time and supports more than 6,000 in an average year. Lucie's family say it gave them a place to stay when it mattered most. In a renewed fundraising push, they are trying to raise £5,000 to sponsor two rooms for three years. The pair set off on a warm Friday afternoon and Mr Southall said he felt okay for about 35 miles before the blisters and the cramp set claimed they also had to contend with unruly wildlife including "an angry bull and fierce swans". But he still managed to "keep his head while his body took a bettering", he added. After the challenge, though, he jokingly had one message: "Never again." Lucie's cousin David Southall helped organise the event but was unable to take part due to an injury. The newly-qualified firefighter was advised against the challenge to avoid making his bad knee worse, but said loved ones were impressed by the effort. "Everyone that knows Ash knows that he is way out of his comfort zone but he's also not someone that will give up easily either," he said. "All family and friends are proud of both of the lads and the Lucie Southall Leukaemia Fund is grateful for all of the funds raised." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
