Bay Leaf planning application – our response

We’ve sent this email out to all the Northern Planning committee members – in the hope that common sense prevails and the application is refused.

If you want to comment on the application go to:

http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/planning/view_a_planning_application/view_a_planning_application.aspx and key in the application number 15/3674M

For a guide to making comments go to:

http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/planning/view_a_planning_application/how_to_comment_on_applications/how_to_comment_on_applications.aspx

Demolition of 127 Wellington Road, Bollington, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 5HT
and erection of new building

Dear Councillor,

With regard to the above planning application I respectfully ask you to consider the following:

Anyone taking the time to watch cars attempting to exit the existing car park at the rear of The Bay Leaf restaurant will appreciate the difficulty this manoeuvre presents.

If this is in doubt I would suggest that Cheshire East Highways department set up a video camera during the peak hours – I’m confident it would make interesting viewing.

The applicants state that their proposal will make the junction safer – which is nonsense.

The proposal is for the new building to be set back a few metres from the road – making it easier for exiting cars to see traffic coming from the north (Pott Shrigley), but it won’t make it any easier to see traffic coming from the south (from Macclesfield) – and this is the more dangerous manoeuvre of the two.

The applicants state that during the earlier ‘consultation’ objectors had drawn irrelevant parallels with the old Co-op store – before it moved from Albert Road to its new site. I must assume they’re not aware of the continuing traffic issues with the new store.

As a result of the problems with entrance and exit – and several minor shunts or near misses every day – many locals have taken to parking on the road.

This means that traffic exiting the car park has to negotiate the parked cars as well as oncoming traffic. If this is refuted I suggest someone gathers video evidence.

The same will happen at the Bay Leaf site.

Shoppers will soon come to realise that exiting the car park is a lottery – and, being human, they’ll take the easiest option and park anywhere on the main road they can.

There are no double yellows on the bad bend – so that means there – which will make entry and exit doubly dangerous.

The proposal indicates there are two businesses – and 13 car parking spaces will be shared between them – which is totally inadequate.

However, this is incorrect.

Barrows Butchers also share the existing entrance/exit and car park – making three businesses sharing the car park – and the entrance/exit.

This means that there will be two businesses sharing the car park at all times 1/ Barrows butcher & Sainsbury throughout the day – 2 Sainsbury & The Bay Leaf during the evening.

It’s even conceivable that if Barrows stay open a little later all three could be sharing.

This in itself should be a reason to refuse.

What happens if the car park is full. How will drivers know before they commit to entering?

Rather than calmly waiting for spaces they will attempt to reverse their vehicles out – onto the main road.

This is happening now, with just Barrows being open during the day, I have witnessed this on several occasions.

There is an assumption in the proposal that everyone will follow the rules and not park on double yellow lines, but again, if the old Co-op store is a guide, and I would argue it’s more reasonable to assume that, many drivers will ignore the double yellow lines and park there.

This will be an issue from 8.00 am through to 10 pm – six days a week – and on Sundays from lunchtime until 10 pm – when Sainsbury’s and The Bay Leaf will be in operation – and there will be no traffic wardens to police the situation.

Another issue that neither the applicants nor Cheshire East Highways department seem to be aware of is that twice a year – in Spring and Autumn – the sun lies low in the sky and shines directly from the south into the faces of oncoming drivers (from the North).

At this time of year, owing to drivers being temporarily blinded, there are always minor accidents.

The applicants state there has only been one accident in the last five years. This statement relates to major accidents – where someone has been injured or died.

There are numerous minor incidents and near misses are an almost daily event.

An independent report was prepared by Singleton Clamp in January 2003 (copy attached)

This was prepared in relation to a proposal to install a pedestrian crossing in the town.

However, several of the observations are still relevant to this application:

“2.1 This junction is on the outside of a bend in Wellington Road where forward visibility for approaching drivers is restricted and the distraction of vehicle turning manoeuvres could be a hazard.”

“2.6 To the north of the existing bus stop location is a vehicle repair business. At the time of my visit, there was a vehicle parked on the frontage of this business on Wellington Road delivering fuel oil for the business. This is an essential delivery that cannot take place in any other location.”

“I am advised that this delivery takes place twice weekly and can legitimately be carried out on the double yellow line road markings”

This would present a major hazard as the proposal will create a four-way junction.

“2.9) “the footway widths in the proposed crossing location are currently below the normal standards . . .”

It’s reasonable to assume that both foot and vehicular traffic has increased massively since 2003.

“2.10 Overall, I would conclude that there are hazards associated with this location for a pedestrian crossing and in the absence of a proven need in this location it would be undesirable to provide such a facility.”

If it was unsafe or undesirable to install a pedestrian crossing in 2003, this planning application must be refused.

No one is denying that the Co-op needs competition, or that Bollington can sustain another mini-supermarket – but it’s madness to put one there.

If you would like to see a copy of the Singleton Clamp report email me at: editor@ilovemacc.com with Bay Leaf in the subject line.