“Prison block” retirement development causing carnage on quiet residential estate

A “prison block” retirement home development on former farmland is causing carnage for residents living on a small, quiet estate at Lymm.

Ongoing deliveries of large cranes and concrete diggers involving huge wagons are causing carnage, which residents fear will carry on once the controversial McCarthy & Stone retirement home on a former dairy farm is completed.

Local resident Matt Rooney said: “Carnage is being caused on our small quiet estate by huge wagons, sometimes double length, delivering large cranes, concrete diggers and supplies from early in the morning to develop the old people’s home each weekday.
“My concerns are that there will be a bad accident, that the drainage system and road surface are not built for such weight and that once the home is completed there will be constant deliveries day and night. Why on earth did the access not be insisted upon through the new estate next door, which we are also having to deal with?”
The problems escalated with works taking place at 8.20 am this morning, Sunday.

The works taking place early on Sunday monring

Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Ian Marks said: “Sadly this kind of problem is only too common. We never wanted the building to be built in the first place and think it looks more like a prison block and is out of keeping with the area.
“Another main objection was the inability of the Dairy Farm Estate to cope with construction traffic. Highways knew better than residents, but this is the outcome. It is quite unreasonable and is happening at all hours and every day. It has been suggested that the estate roads may not be strong enough to cope with such heavy loads.
“Residents are right to say that the problems will not go away once construction is over because there will be on-going deliveries every day. We must at least insist that contractors and sub-contractors are not breaking any rules.”
The scheme, allowed on appeal after being refused by Warrington planners, was the third the company have put forward for land at Watercress Farm, off Thirlmere Drive, Lymm.
It involves 36 one and two-bedroom retirement apartments in a part-three, part-two storey building. Previous proposals were for 45 retirement apartments and were opposed by nearly 60 residents and by Lymm Parish Council.
Amended proposals were for 42 homes and the latest scheme was for 36.
Parking for 26 cars was proposed, along with a terrace to provide an outdoor sitting area and interior communal facilities.
Objectors had described the retirement apartments proposal as a “prison block.”

An illustration of the proposed development