Councillor pledges fight ‘to bitter end’ over home plan
Last updated at 09:28, Thursday, 29 July 2010
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build a two-storey extension to sheltered accommodation has re-ignited concerns of furious Whitehaven residents.
Abbeyfield, which owns Johnson House at Hillcrest, has applied for revised planning permission for 10 self-contained units for the elderly adjacent to the building.
Two years ago, residents objected to Copeland Council’s plans to sell land at Jericho Plantation near to Johnson House to Abbeyfield due to drainage problems and disruption to woodland and wildlife.
At a resident’s meeting held on Tuesday, people said they were “more enraged’’ about these latest expanded plans than the original application.
Resident, George Houghton, said: “We are absolutely disgusted that Abbeyfield has come back with a bigger plan. The previous design had only one storey, this new one looks like an army barracks.
“It will be an eyesore. We are all still concerned about the effect on the woodland and its wildlife including the red squirrels.’’
In 2008 Abbeyfield had wanted to create accommodation for a further nine people at Johnson House to help ease a waiting list of 25 people.
A “damning’’ report at the time had criticised both Copeland’s Executive committee and officers over the handling of the proposed land sale. However, the council eventually agreed to sell Abbeyfield the land at Jericho Plantation near to Johnson House so long as there was improved public access and on-going woodland maintenance.
This latest proposal replaces an existing planning approval given by Copeland in May 2008. Amendments to the building design have necessitated this new application which will be decided at a meeting of the council’s Planning Committee on August 18.
Coun Alistair Norwood, who represents Hillcrest, said: “I am outraged by this proposal. By selling the land the council is going against 99 percent of the population’s wishes.’’
He claimed building work would endanger wildlife and exacerbate current drainage problems. “Much of the drainage system has not been adopted and there is a lot of old pipe work. The system was not originally designed to withstand this many extra people.’’
And Coun Norwood added: “I will help residents fight this proposal to the bitter end.’’
First published at 15:41, Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Published by http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk
Have your say
Residents of Whitehaven have good cause for concern. The Council don't have a good track record where drainage or planning is concerned. Actually they don't have a good record at all. People need to be very very vary.
Posted by Worried Tax payer on 29 July 2010 at 16:27