I HAVE read articles in the Journal over the past couple of months concerning the proposed crematorium at Howe Bridge, off Lovers Lane, Atherton.

People reading those articles have been left in no doubt that the plan is indeed a great idea and needed for this side of the borough. The proposal, however, is seriously flawed in many aspects.

It would be built on Green Belt land contrary to the Green Belt Policy and also contrary to the Unitary Development Plan (UDP).

The UDP is a ten year plan adopted by the council after the public and businesses have had their chance to object and amend if it was believed necessary after the consultation period and ensuing inquiry.

When people buy a house they are able to refer to the plan and its documents to see what status the land around them will be. They will then be aware of any likely developments etc.

If this proposal were to go ahead it would make the UDP worthless as any form of reference. The landowners that probably own half of Atherton, if not more, had their chance to object at the inquiry but failed to do so.

The proposed plan will have its chimney just outside the 200 metre minimum from any dwelling as required by law. This is a minimum figure and we should be looking to considerably improve upon the minimum requirements.

It will be overlooked by people walking along the old railway line, who will be left inhaling the fumes from the chimney with the wind usually in that direction.

The proposal suggests that there will be little traffic, yet we are told we are desperate for this crematorium. Hardly likely that such an investment will create so little traffic when the car park will have provision for 40 spaces.

This does not mean they expect 40 cars a day, but any one time up to 40 cars can be expected. The plan also proposes that the premises will be open from 8am until 8pm seven days a week.

The applicants themselves accept in their plan that this is contrary to the UDP and Green Belt Policy and that exceptional circumstances are required for this to go ahead. No exceptional circumstances exist and this proposal should be treated with the contempt it deserves.

There has been a lot of coverage in The Journal concerning the Xanadu complex. Whilst there has been concern about the actual construction itself, a lot of worry has been about the traffic it will generate. The people in the Pennington area have voiced their concerns about this, as have the people around the Hand Lane area. They are quite right to mention the problem, with a suggestion that the bypass should be extended to the M6 from one councillor.

Whilst wanting to see some form of development to improve the image of the area, I completely agree that the main problem is the amount of traffic chaos it will cause.

No mention has so far been made about the effects upon the other end of the bypass at Atherton. Atherleigh Way needs extending at both ends.

At 5pm the traffic queue backs up from the lights at the top of Lovers Lane to just short of the lights at the bypass. When the Reebok Stadium was built at Horwich for Bolton Wanderers, it was not realised that it would have such an impact so far away on match day.

When Manchester United played Bolton the traffic queue went the full length of Lovers Lane, either side of the bypass. Lorries travel up and down here from the Wingates Industrial Estate, night and day. It is the main route for the Westhoughton and Horwich catchment area.

We have suffered the lorry traffic from the opencast site off Schofield Lane and it now looks that this period of excavation is to be extended. Along with the ambulance and fire engine sirens, the noise generated along the bypass is already not conductive to the silent mood required for a crematorium. When Xanadu is built the extra traffic generated will make the proposed crematorium seem ridiculous.

Not only is this proposal unfair on the residents in and around the Lovers Lane area, but from the point of view of the bereaved, this site does not offer the silent atmosphere and privacy required.

Concerned

(Name and address supplied)

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.