The Daisy Hill by-pass debate

Six ward councillors from Westhoughton and Over Hulton are forming a working party to discuss whether the controversial scheme to build the through road, by-passing Daisy Hill village is given the go ahead.

Present discussions centre around the road being built through the new Redrow estate on the former Edges Farm land.

But residents of Redrow's Edges Fold estate are furious, claiming they bought their homes unaware of the scheme being in the pipeline.

They allege they were misled as nothing about the plan was revealed to them in council land searches provided to their solicitors.

But Cllr Eric Hyland from Over Hulton, said: "Nothing will be done until Westhoughton and Hulton Park councillors have expressed their view.

"The public will be consulted and asked for their opinions.

"No one has been misled because nothing has been agreed." Edges Fold Residents'

Association argument

AGAINST the by-pass RESIDENTS in the new Redrow Edges Fold estate feel so strongly about the proposals to build the by-pass close to their homes, that they have formed an action group.

The Edges Fold Residents' Association has been created to halt the plans, and includes householders on the neighbouring estates.

Members describe themselves as "non political" and here write why they feel their campaign should be successful:

"Our purpose is to promote the well being of Daisy Hill and Westhoughton in general and the people, including ourselves who live and work in the area. Our motives are similar to those of SWAN who we have recently forged links with.

"There appears to be some misconceptions about the people who have moved onto the Edges Fold development. They are not all 'outsiders'. There are of course people who have moved into the area from other parts of the country, and rather than be treated as foreigners, they should be congratulated for choosing Daisy Hill and welcomed.

"What residents of Edges Fold simply want the people of Daisy Hill and Westhoughton to understand is that none of them were ever told of the proposal for this road. The cost of houses is not an issue, it is the fact that they believed they were moving to a quiet, safe and neighbourly environment. They certainly are not 'not in my back yard' NIMBYs who want to push the road on others -- they just don't want it pushed on them because it's convenient.

"If the road is allowed then people living along Hindley Road and the area of the Grey Man Pub can expect to see a dramatic increase in the volume and size of vehicles passing their homes. Hartford Road will be an inviting short cut for motorists to get to the motorway from Hindley and Wigan. To accommodate the large increase in the number and sizes of vehicles expected, the council intends to restructure Hindley Road near to the new community centre, at the side of which Hartford Road will pass, going directly through the line of the existing bus shelter. This implies there will be no alleviation of traffic in Daisy Hill, simply an increase.

"We have learned that Edges Farm has for a very long time been an area of land designated by the council for housing development. So our problem is understanding why, when Redrow asked for permission to build on the land, the council refused it. This seems strange until you understand that the council and Redrow eventually entered into a legal agreement whereby Redrow would build, at its own expense, a road designed to carry heavy traffic through the estate up to a point where the council only had to complete a small section of the road to make it complete.

"Some local residents may have a mercenary view and suggest that it is Edges Fold residents' own problem. But if Hartford Road is expanded then the whole of Daisy Hill and Westhoughton will become bogged down with more traffic taking short cuts to the motorway system. Those living in Daisy Hill will still have traffic passing their homes and St James' School, as motorists attempt to avoid queues on Hartford Road, which will develop.

"This issue is about finding a way of keeping all unnecessary traffic out of Daisy Hill and Westhoughton, and to do that all the people of the area can work together with a common interest." Edges Fold Residents' Association argument AGAINST the by-pass RESIDENTS in the new Redrow Edges Fold estate feel so strongly about the proposals to build the by-pass close to their homes, that they have formed an action group.

The Edges Fold Residents Association has been created to halt the plans, and includes householders on the neighbouring estates.

Members describe themselves as "non political" and here write why they feel their campaign should be successful:

"Our purpose is to promote the well being of Daisy Hill and Westhoughton in general and the people, including ourselves who live and work in the area. Our motives are similar to those of SWAN who we have recently forged links with.

"There appears to be some misconceptions about the people who have moved onto the Edges Fold development. They are not all 'outsiders'. There are of course people who have moved into the area from other parts of the country, and rather than be treated as foreigners, they should be congratulated for choosing Daisy Hill and welcomed.

"What residents of Edges Fold simply want the people of Daisy Hill and Westhoughton to understand is that none of them were ever told of the proposal for this road. The cost of houses is not an issue, it is the fact that they believed they were moving to a quiet, safe and neighbourly environment. They certainly are not 'not in my back yard' NIMBYs who want to push the road on others -- they just don't want it pushed on them because it's convenient.

"If the road is allowed then people living along Hindley Road and the area of the Greyman Pub can expect to see a dramatic increase in the volume and size of vehicles passing their homes. Hartford Road will be an inviting short cut for motorists to get to the motorway from Hindley and Wigan. To accommodate the large increase in the number and sizes of vehicles expected, the council intends to restructure Hindley Road near to the new community centre, at the side of which Hartford Road will pass, going directly through the line of the existing bus shelter. This implies there will be no alleviation of traffic in Daisy Hill, simply an increase.

"We have learned that Edges Farm has for a very long time been an area of land designated by the council for housing development. So our problem is understanding why, when Redrow asked for permission to build on the land, the council refused it. This seems strange until you understand that the council and Redrow eventually entered into a legal agreement whereby Redrow would build, at its own expense, a road designed to carry heavy traffic through the estate up to a point where the council only had to complete a small section of the road to make it complete.

"Some local residents may have a mercenary view and suggest that it is Edges Fold residents' own problem. But if Hartford Road is expanded then the whole of Daisy Hill and Westhoughton will become bogged down with more traffic taking short cuts to the motorway system. Those living in Daisy Hill will still have traffic passing their homes and St James' School, as motorists attempt to avoid queues on Hartford Road, which will develop.

"This issue is about finding a way of keeping all unnecessary traffic out of Daisy Hill and Westhoughton, and to do that all the people of the area can work together with a common interest." One Daisy Hill residents' reason FOR the by-pass VILLAGERS in Daisy Hill have been campaigning for a by-pass road to be built for many years.

And here, one resident explains the reasons why they feel the proposals through Edges Fold should be given the go ahead:

"As a resident of Hindley Road, I am very concerned and aggrieved that residents of Edges Fold be told a by-pass will not be built outside their homes. Nice for them it must be to have promises of that ilk made.

"However, referring to recent events at public inquiries and long standing UDP's etc. this goes against the general feeling that the by-pass would be beneficial to the village.

"May I refer readers to the appeal report by B.H.Mundy, Inspector instructed by the Secretary of State, regarding the building of the Edges Fold estate -- 'The fact that the development of site B as proposed would include a significant section of the by-pass is a further element in the abnormality of such cases. Completion of that section would leave only a short length across Council owned land remaining to be built. Although there are neither firm proposals nor funding for its construction, the developments now proposed would render completion of the by-pass more likely. That, in turn, would have a beneficial effect on the operation of the Leigh Road/Lower Leigh Road roundabout'.

"Unfortunately, this meant that amongst other reasons the application to build the Edges Fold estate went ahead. But it is after years of fighting by local residents and SWAN that the need for a solution to the traffic problem in Daisy Hill has formally been recognised.

"Therefore I ask, why should the selfish feelings of a few Edges Fold residents hinder any improvements to the local road network?

"I also ask why our Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for the Environment, Cllr Guy Harkin, should decide to disagree with local environment issues and assumptions by the Appeal Inspector that the council will address the need for a by-pass.

"Daisy Hill by-pass must go ahead -- it would be both environmentally and politically correct."

A G Marsh,

Hindley Road,

Daisy Hill.