Homes plan for Rudheath 'would bring traffic chaos'

So claims local resident Teresa Beardsmore, who has submitted an impassioned objection to an amended plan for homes north of the A556.

The scheme was refused in January by Cheshire West and Chester Council because it represented development in open countryside beyond Rudheath.

The developers have submitted an amended outline application, seeking agreement for the means of access to the proposed development at Park Farm, with all other matters reserved.

Teresa said: “The extra 300-plus vehicles on an already busy road would cause chaos, especially for people trying to get onto Shurlach Road from Gadbrook Road.

“Independent surveyors should attend these roads, which are already at standstill in the mornings and afternoons.

“The lane is too small, and there are lots of accidents as can be seen by the many hedges which have been broken when there isn't enough room for two speeding cars.

“There have been breakdowns on the railway bridge, which meant traffic was backed up to the bypass.

“The traffic is a nightmare now, and an extra 300 plus cars doesn’t bear thinking of.

“Rudheath has had enough of building work over the years, and this proposal would mean the death of all green space in Rudheath, with nothing left, never mind the flooding of these fields.”

The housing scheme shows three main access points onto Shipbrook Road, which the developers say meet required standards, one being an emergency access in the event of severe flooding.

The proposals include an improvement to the Shipbrook Road/A556 junction and widening to parts of Shipbrook Road.

“Traffic flows have been assessed for up to date levels, the location has no capacity issues based on a robust view of the flows and no capacity issues are expected to arise with the adjacent junctions to the site,” said a report accompanying the application, which includes a transport assessment.

“As such the scheme would have little or no impact on the local network.”

CWAC highways officer Paul Parry said: “I have some concerns about the impact on parts of the network in this area, most particularly the A556/Gadbrook Park junction, as this does suffer from capacity and queuing issues at certain peak times, along with the A556/A530 roundabout.

“However, given that the test set out in the National Planning Policy Framework is that unless the residual impacts are severe that permission should not be withheld, it is clear from the scale of the increased traffic volumes and the resulting percentage impact on each leg of the impacted junctions that this would not be seen as a severe additional impact, as in number terms it would be seen as a small number over and above the existing flows.

“It is considered that an acceptable internal highway layout can be accommodated within the site, and the resultant traffic generation impacts on the surrounding network are not considered to bring about a likely additional severe detrimental impact in highway safety or congestion terms.

“It is considered there are no robust reasons for a refusal on highway grounds, and that subject to conditions being attached to any permission there are no objections.”