RESIDENTS of the Twiss Green area of Culcheth and parents of children attending Twiss Green Primary School have joined forces to fight proposals for a stables development on Green Belt land at the rear of Petersfield Gardens.
They are objecting to an appeal by the land owner against the refusal by Warrington Borough Council to grant permission for a stables block, storage/tack room and hard standing for vehicles. 
Culcheth Parish Council is also opposing the scheme.
An earlier proposal involving a block of 10 stables was also refused but the new plan has been scaled down to eight stables.
But it was also rejected on the grounds on the grounds it was inappropriate use of the Green Belt, too large and likely to cause traffic hazards.
Local residents and parents point out that the only access to the field is via a narrow access between two houses in a residential cul-de-sac, running in front of a primary school entrance and car park/drop off point.
There are no bridleways nearby, only footpaths and residential roads. Horses, food, waste materials, riders and vehicles will all have to pass this way.
They are concerned this would inevitably give rise to clashes between horses, pedestrians and cyclists and motorists.
There are also worries about HGV movements or car and horsebox movements through the area.
Alan Hodgkinson, a local resident and spokesperson for ‘Say NO to the Stables’ said: “Eight horses each being tended three times a day, for feeding and exercising, could mean up to 17,500 additional vehicle movements a year along Twiss Green lane, which already suffers from congestion and currently has poor road surfaces.
“We must stop this development from going ahead. It is a totally inappropriate use of the land, which will increase the dangers to all road and footpath users of Twiss Green Lane. I urge all local residents and parents to register their objections with the Planning Inspectorate, sign the petition and join our protest.”
Leaflets are being distributed to more than 500 houses the objectors claim will be directly affected by the proposals.
