WORK has started on the demolition of a number of houses to provide access for construction of the controversial Peel Hall development at Warrington – and has immediately triggered a new storm.
Nearby residents claimed planning conditions were being breached because the properties were being bulldozed rather than partly demolished by hand.
As a result, adjoining properties which are not due to be demolished were being covered in dust and debris – and residents affected by noise.
One resident, Shirley Sawyer, said: “The demolition is not being carried out in accord with the planning consent.
“The upper floors are supposed to be demolished by hand, but this morning work started on the demolition using heavy plant to knock the houses down – including the upper floors.
“The result is chaos. There is dust and dirt everywhere. It is particularly bad for an adjoining block of flats.
“The noise is terrible. This needs to be stopped at once.”
Residents contacted local councillors – and Cllr John Kerr-Brown went to the scene.
He said: “The site has been fenced so I don’t think there is a safety issue. But I have contacted council officers to see if there is any other enforcement issue.”
The Peel Hall development, which consists of some 1,500 homes, shops and other local facilities, only won planning permission after a 30-year planning battle.
It was opposed by Warrington Borough Council and local residents but was eventually given the go-ahead by the Secretary of State – subject to a number of conditions.
A Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “We have received a report of an alleged breach on the Peel Hall development, and we are currently investigating the issue”.
Cllr John Kerr-Brown
3 Comments
Disgraceful this sounds like a clear breach. The local residents have also been complaining of the way the trees and bushes have been felled at the start of the bird nesting seas on social media and no action was taken. Whatever next?
They don’t care they’ve got the permission they wanted. They are just going to carry on irrespective of other people’s feelings and opinions.
Sympathise with the residents but it will be the frst of many issues during this development where what was promised at planning isnt adhered to and WBC dont have capacity to investigate every alledged breach. Having experienced building behind my house, hardly anything was done as planned but in the end I decided that reporting would just delay – perhaps better for the demolition to be done swiftly and get it out the way than delay it and have to put up with the inconvenience for a longer period.