Traffic fears over homes at Rishton ex-mill (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Traffic fears over homes at Rishton ex-mill

5:00pm Thursday 21st March 2013 in News By Emma Cruces, Reporter

GO-AHEAD The former York Street mill

A PLAN for new homes on a derelict former mill site has raised traffic fears for local schools.

The outline plan for 32 homes was approved by Hyndburn Council yesterday to transform the former York Mill site, in Rishton.

However, nearby residents have written to Hyndburn Council with concerns over narrow residential roads that could serve the new development.

Highways authority Lancashire County Council said access should be from Livesey Street, with a no-waiting area created around the junction with Harwood Road, so vis-ibility is maintained.

But residents fear using Livesey Street would, neverthless, cause traffic chaos for nearby schools, and homes.

Councillors approved the plan for housing in principle, and deferred the decision over access until a full planning application is submitted.

Letters to Hyndburn Council raised concerns that ‘narrow’ Livesey Street already serves two local schools, St Peter and St Paul’s, and Norden High School.

Rishton councillor Ken Moss addressed the planning committee, on behalf of residents.

He said: “Residents support the idea of housing here, but there have been concerns raised. Livesey Street is very narrow and it is usually filled with parked cars on both sides.

“Residents are quite worried that it isn’t suitable. It should really be from York Street.”

Committee member and fellow Rishton councillor Harry Grayson said: “It needs to be put to some kind of use. We will arrive at what is best to do about the access at a later date.”

Planning committee member Dave Parkinson said: “I’ve always been a big supporter of housing in residential areas like this, and doing away with the industrial use. Ind-ustry belongs in indus-trial estates.”

The York Street mill was most recently the home of former Accring-ton Stanley chairman Eric Whalley’s packaging business EW Cartons, which was demolished earlier this year after it became the target of metal thieves and vandals. The outline plan included a mixture of social and terraced housing, with access from Livesey Street.

Councillors approved the plan in principle, but removed mention of acc-ess from Livesey Street until a full planning application can be created.