Residents Of Hale & Halebank Turn Out On Mass To Protest About Green Belt Development
January 30, 2018
Around 250 people from Hale and Halebank attended the Consultation/Presentation Meeting in Hale Village Hall on Monday night – 29th of January.
The meeting was attended and organised by Hale Parish Council, several members of Halebank Parish Council were in attendance and the Halton Borough Ward Councillor for Hale. Cheshire Police were also present, to keep public order.
The meeting commenced at 7pm chaired by Hale Parish Councillor Luke Trevaskis. Councillor Trevaskis outlined the plans for Hale Village and Halebank and then handed the meeting over to Mr Tim Gibbs from Halton Borough Councils Planning Department, who gave a presentation and took question about the consultation process, Brownfield and Greenfield sites.
Heated discussions took place during the presentation, and people from the audience gave their input, asked questions and voiced their views and opinions about aspects of Brownfield sites not being used – that are contaminated and should be cleaned up – rather of taking the easy option and using Greenfield sites.
Infrastructure and visual impact issues arose, and were questioned on how it would hinder the communities of Hale and Halebank. From schools to traffic problems were discussed.
It was quoted that currently, Halebank will have 1700 new houses on Greenfield sites/Farmland, and Hale will have 94 houses on Brownfield sites.
Issues on flooding at Hale Gate Road were highlighted by a local farmer, were upon the excessive amount of rain water and/or high tides and the lack of dredging of the Ramsbrook from the Ford/Jaguar Factory affects the fields that are located near Hale Gate Road,the White Estate/Wellington Gate/BrockGardens and Curlender Way.
Also Highlighted was the potential and immediate development by Peel Holdings, of a relief road or Bypass from the top of Ramsbrook Lane across farm land to the junction Hale Road and Dungeon Lane - and the ribbon development that would follow, if this road were to be built...
Maps, diagrams were on display and free to take, along with consultation forms available for residents to fill in.
It was obviously clear – and rightly so, that both Hale and Halebank residents are united in protecting their communities.
The Consultation meeting lasted just over 2 hours and finished around 9:15pm
You can view the documentation online at http://www.halton.gov.uk/DALP also at main Halton Borough Council’s Halton Direct Link Offices and Libraries.
You can also view via the above link - further down it's page, a pdf of a land survey of Hale Village and surrounding areas in “Appendix I – Hale”, showing desirable plots of land for future possible development - if they were taken out of the Green Belt...
