Protest against proposed housing development at Hollin Lane and Langley Lane

Protest agasint proposed development on Hollin Lane and Langley Lane

Horse riders and members of the public gathered at St Anne’s Academy yesterday (Sunday 7 September) to protest against the proposed housing development at Hollin Lane and Langley Lane in Middleton.

This was the latest effort made by the group 'The People vs Taylor Wimpey' to stop Taylor Wimpey going ahead with the proposed development.

Horse riders turned up to support the protest with local residents and dog walkers also in attendance.

Bren Tierney from the group said: “The protest was really for the horse riders who will lose the land that they use for their horses if this development goes ahead.”

Bren added: “We are not opposed to building new houses, we are just opposed to the building of houses on this land. If this goes ahead then there will be no open space left. A development on this land would create one long continuous urban sprawl reaching some 12 miles.”

It is understood that if planning permission for the 357 homes is granted, the building will begin in summer 2015 with Taylor Wimpey aiming to build 50 homes a year for the next seven years.

“If Taylor Wimpey get permission to build on the land then that is it. They will be gone then and it will be us left with the mess and disruption. Also, if they build these houses and they sell, then they will continue to build them but if they aren’t selling then they will stop building and the development would be left open ended causing further disruption,” said Bren.

As well as the protest, the group hold regular residents meetings and have aired their thoughts to councillors at Middleton Township meetings.

Bren added: “We have just finished with our letters of objection and with the comments we have also received we are looking at over 500 letters. With a housing development you are usually looking at about 25 letters of objection so this is really something that people don’t want.”

The Taylor Wimpey development has been revised in recent months with the development losing shops and gaining a community building with plans to provide a pedestrian crossing and road improvements also added.

An outline planning application has been submitted to Rochdale Council.

Taylor Wimpey were invited to comment but had not responded at the time of publication.