LOWER Peover Parish Council is calling for action over ‘daily inconvenience’ faced by residents from lorries accessing a housing development under construction.

Harvey Homes is creating 30 homes on land alongside and behind 13 Holly Tree Drive in Nether Peover.

Construction access to the site, ‘other than in exceptional circumstances’, was to be via a new access off Middlewich Road.

That access has not yet been created, and lorries are accessing the housing site off Holly Tree Drive.

Residents have complained to Lower Peover Parish Council about the impact on their lives of lorries using their road.

Cllr Louise Corlett, chairman of Lower Peover Parish Council said: “The parish council is extremely concerned about the use of Holly Tree Drive by Westshield to gain access to the building site.

“We are unhappy residents are being subjected to daily inconvenience, with over 50 articulated lorries going down their narrow street every day.

“This was a quiet, calm and safe residential area of Lower Peover, but since September the peace and the safety of residents have been put at risk.

“Residents’ driveways have often been blocked, access by car or on foot is often disrupted by lorries, and the size, noise and weight of these lorries mean there is considerable concern about the health and safety of the residents. This situation needs to be addressed urgently.”

Cllr Mark Stocks said: “I support the residents and their concerns regarding access to the new housing development.

“The council [Cheshire West and Chester] should be taking enforcement action against the developer and ensuring access to the site is via Middlewich Road only.

“The council should with immediate effect put a stop notice on the site until the completion of the new access. It is unacceptable to use Holly Tree Drive and Birchwood Drive to access the site. It is dangerous and unsafe for all residents.”

Mike Rogers, highways consultant for the development said: “The contractors’ intention was to use Middlewich Road for construction traffic. However, legally, they are unable to do so until Cheshire West and Cheshire’s development control team issue a section 278 agreement.

“This permits the contractor to implement the agreed new access, which will be constructed to adoptable standards and maintained by the local authority once completed.

“It was always envisaged and agreed by the council that in exceptional circumstances Holly Tree Drive could be used to access the site.”

Ben Fitzpatrick, Westshield site manager at Swan Green said: “Harvey Homes invested in a number of measures to reduce the risk of causing unnecessary inconvenience to our neighbours.

“These steps include creating a temporary car park in the site to avoid visitors, site staff and contractor traffic from parking on Holly Tree Drive and adapting the build programme to delay the removal of upwards of 40 lorry loads of soil from the site until the new access is formed onto Middlewich Road.

“I inspect the neighbouring roads at regular intervals every day and we have a road-sweeping vehicle on stand-by, which can be deployed within 20 minutes.

“All deliveries are met by a full-time banksman, and there is occasionally an unavoidable delay of five to 10 minutes whilst vehicular egress and access is managed.

“All vehicles must be met and escorted as part of our commitment to health and safety, however, whilst they wait, vehicles are manned and are willing and able to be moved immediately if asked to do so.

“We will continue to work with residents on Holly Tree Drive, who are aware that Harvey Homes has recently agreed to fund a haulage road on site to fast track the opening of the entrance onto Middlewich Road. This will become fully operational within 10 working days of receiving the 278 agreement.”

Thomas Ratcliffe, founder and director of Harvey Homes said: “We’re confident our professional team is doing everything they can to minimise unavoidable disruption until Westshield can legally create an access onto Middlewich Road.

“We respect our neighbours and understand that not everyone appreciates change, but hope once the development is complete and they can see the quality of the design and craftsmanship delivered by our brand, they will support it.

“We’re launching the scheme next month and plan to have the first homes ready for occupation in early autumn.”

The Guardian asked Cheshire West and Chester Council for a comment.