Councillors urge rethink over road into major new Leyland housing development

Site access: Homes would be reached off Leyland Lane, rather than a roundabout

South Ribble’s planning committee agreed on outline plans for 400 Redrow homes on land at Altcar Lane, Leyland, two months after it allowed 200 homes by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) on another parcel of the land.

The details will now be passed to planning officers, but with strong words over the proposed access to the site.

Coun Phil Smith said: “I can’t understand why the access can’t come off the roundabout. Instead it seems to come off a dangerous bend. It seems barmy to me.”

Coun Ken Jones said: “I’m not a highways engineer, but it would seem to me that is very odd. Could we possibly pass a recommendation that all exiting traffic has to go around the roundabout so there is no cross over at the junction? Because that looks dangerous.”

Coun Mary Green said: “To me, that looks like a death trap. The speed of traffic that comes down Leyland Lane and off the roundabout, you’ve got death in your hands going down there.

“There are no pavements whatsoever and imagine the number of pedestrians for an application of that size. To me it won’t work and needs extra investigation.”

Catherine Lewis, the council’s senior planning officer, said that the plans for access had come from negotiations between the applicant and Lancashire County Council’s highways department, and LCC had raised no objections.

Peter Hamilton, agent for Redrow, said: “Lancashire County Council said no to access off the roundabout. Concerns have been raised, but it’s not within LCC land. The access proposed accords will all relevant policies for roundabouts.”

As part of the “village” style development, it has been agreed that an extension to neighbouring Worden Park will be created.

This will be in the south-western corner of the existing park around Shaw Wood, which will take in the feel of a nature reserve.

There will also be a new children’s play area on the development, new pathways linking the development and Worden Park and a link to the proposed Leyland Loop.