|
A GROUP of disappointed local people have
learned that they have lost their fight to stop a much-loved tourist
attraction/sales outlet becoming yet another housing development in the
Nantwich area.
And for once, I actually believe this
is a plan that has some merit. For
the first time that I am aware of locally, there are "affordable" homes
planned here. This being the site of
Stapeley Water Gardens.
In case you think that I am in
favour of the development because it is outside of town, and therefore
not in my backyard, let me stress that what does it for me is those
affordable homes. Affordable, that is, to people who are not natural
buyers of the other developments in town where £250,000 has recently
been suggested as the cost of a town house.
The plan - approved by Crewe
and Nantwich Borough Council in September - will mean the relocation of
t he
sales area to the other side of the site, behind The Palms Tropical Oasis, on
land already part of the water gardens, with a new access from Peter de
Stapleigh
Way. The relocation will make way for 150 homes and business (B1, if
that means anything to you) accommodation.
The Palms Tropical Oasis is the row of properties in
the picture on the right. For those not familiar with Stapeley Water
Gardens (and that is something you should put right as soon as possible
if you are ever in the Nantwich area), the current sales area is across
the car park behind the camera. (See
Update and you will realise the urgency has just increased!).
Moving the sales area as
suggested will put the buildings into one block, leaving the London Road
access for the new housing and business accommodation. At the moment the water gardens are
basically two blocks of buildings at either end of a very adequate car
park - space for 1,500 cars and 50 coaches (with an overflow car park on
the site).
One objection from the 109
residents who signed a petition opposing the plan is that the
development will be another strain on the town's already pressed infrastructure (the town
is short of doctors, dentists, schools and car parking, say the
petitioners) - a point with
which I have to agree.
 The new
entrance for the water gardens off Peter de Stapleigh Way (which I
presume will be the one pictured left - opposite Pear Tree Field) is another
point of objection. I don't know who signed the petition, but I am
guessing it is people local to the area.
While
you can have sympathy with the people who live on that road, it must be
said that until a few years ago, Peter de Stapleigh Way and the other
roads in that area were green fields. (London Road is an old road, of
course). The Cronkinson Farm Estate has
brought more traffic to the area - and altered the layout of the London Road,
Stapeley, area
drastically (though not unpleasantly).
[Under the definition of land
previously used for another purpose, Cronkinson Farm was brown field and
so qualified as an area to be built on.]
When I first heard about the
objections, I wondered if the local people were really
being fair in objecting on traffic grounds to a proposal which is along
the lines of something to which they were parties in the recent past - a
new development.
But I understand that other people
objecting to the plan are residents of London Road, rather than on the
new development. They fear a big
problem at rush hours because of the extra traffic generated by the residents of the 150 new homes,
and those working in the new businesses which will be accommodated on
the site.
The town end of London Road,
Stapeley, was made a cul-de-sac near to the railway level crossing when
a new access to the housing estate was made from Newcastle Road,
crossing London Road. But I suppose that only moves the location of the
rush hour jams to the traffic lights.
A figure of extra 300 cars - on basis of two cars per new home,
obviously - has been quoted although not every car will leave and arrive
at the new estate in the rush hours. I haven't seen a figure for the
number of new employees at the business premises.
Many of the visitors to
the water gardens will presumably arrive out of the rush hours - and
even then not all via London Road - as the opening time is 9am when the
commuters should be in work. Those wanting to visit The Palms Tropical
Oasis have to wait another hour for their attraction to open. Monday to
Saturday closing time in the summer is 6pm (5pm in winter), so there
could be a clash with the commuters at that time of the day.
Clearly the staff of the water
gardens will arrive and leave outside of opening times - in the rush
hour -but they are already part of the traffic on the local roads.
The demolition of Stapeley
Manor (see below), the affect on wildlife and a strain on
the sewers are other objections to the new homes plan.
The plans before Crewe and
Nantwich Borough Council show that 33 per cent of the proposed homes will be
in the "affordable" category - that's two per cent below the borough council's
target for the site. But it was clearly considered
to be close enough for the plan to be approved.
A water gardens spokesperson
was quoted by the Nantwich Guardian (September 27) as saying: "The redevelopment will
improve the overall visitor experience and facilities at Stapeley Water
Gardens ensuring its future as a key tourist destination in the area."
|
