“IT WILL be Winyates Grey, not Winyates Green if these plans are passed.”
That’s the verdict of local resident Kath Skermer as proposals for the Redditch Eastern Gateway development go back before Stratford planners on Wednesday, earmarked for approval.
The scheme has already been passed by Bromsgrove District Council with delegated approval by Redditch Borough Council.
Stratford had raised concern about the height of the warehouses – 21metres – and feared traffic leaving the 80 acre site would head south on the A435 through Mappleborough Green, Studley, Coughton and Alcester.
However a revised planning application has attempted to address these issues and if passed local residents fear the real danger will be air pollution.
The £85million development will accommodate close to 100 juggernauts, be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will bring in commuters from across the region.
“My concern is air pollution – there is so much being done to tackle it and here we are adding to it,” said Mrs Skermer.
“It makes a mockery of calling it Winyates Green.”
Chair of Governors at Mappleborough Green Primary school Maureen Berry, also a parish councillor, hit out at the lack of time people had to consider the revised application – one working day – while local resident Chris Eddon questionned the lack of detail on the new plans, especially the failure to outline where the warehouses would be situated.
Developers Stoford appear to have moved those warehouses further back from Far Moor Lane and restricted the height of nearby buildings to 15metres.
They will also bring in a ‘Vehicle Routing Management Plan’ to monitor HGV drivers to ensure they do not travel south on the A435.
The £80,000 scheme would feature a four step disciplinary system which ‘could’ comprise: First offence – a verbal warning to the driver; second offence – a formal warning; third offence – driver suspension; fourth offence – driver permanently banned.
As a result a report by the county Highways Authority says the impact of the development on existing traffic queues would be ‘negligible’ with no impact ‘on the operational capacity of the M42 Junction 3’.
However Coun Berry said: “These people obviously do not stand here on the island at Mappelborough Green and see the number of lorries with foreign plates heading south – how are they going to monitor that?
“They are saying there is loads of room on the road for additional traffic but look what happens when they close one lane of Alders Drive – absolute chaos.
“Then you have the new development Velocity 42 of Forge Mill Drive – where is all the traffic going to go?”
Studley and Sambourne District Councillor Hazel Wright (Lib Dem) said: “It will be impossible to police and enforce. They can do all the computer modelling they like, but this will definitely result in more congestion.”
