Ward Councillors Mace and Collinge have commented on the proposal on
both rounds of the public consultation. The Councillors have raised objections to
the proposal on the grounds that there is insufficient car parking provision for
the number of units proposed, that Sandfield Road is incapable of
accommodating additional traffic, that the height of the new buildings are too
high and that it would be overdevelopment of this cramped site. Both
Councillors acknowledge the value of this important site in the Gateacre Village
Conservation Area and would encourage a development which was more
sympathetic to the area.

Neighbourhood Committee
Gateacre Neighbourhood Committee considered the application at its meeting
on the 7th March 2006 when it was agreed that, overall, the application be
opposed on the grounds that the new build elements are too high, that there
would be increased traffic generation leading to problems on Sandfield Road,
that there is insufficient car parking provision within the site and that the
proposal represents overdevelopment. Notwithstanding the overall opposition
to the scheme, the Committee welcomed the refurbishment of the Listed
Buildings.

Neighbours

A total of 58 no. letters of objection, of which 15 no. were of a standard
template, were received from local residents and interested parties following the
first round of public consultation. A summary of the grounds of objection are as
follows:
• Density and appearance of the proposed new apartment blocks will be out of
character with the Grade II Listed Buildings;
• Insufficient car parking provision for the number of units proposed;
• Vehicles exiting the site on Sandfield Road may be hazardous to safety of
pedestrians;
• Sandfield Road is too narrow to satisfactorily accommodate additional
vehicular traffic;
• Additional traffic would lead to possible accidents at junction of Gateacre
Brow and Sandfield Road;
• Already an over supply of flats in Gateacre village;
• Access for emergency vehicles is severely restricted;
• Existing building merchants, Travis Perkins, already cause traffic problems on
Sandfield Road & the proposed development would exacerbate this;
• Access into the site off Sandfield Road via the cottages on Lower Sandfield
would be detrimental to the amenity enjoyed by residents of those properties
as well as properties on Gateacre Brow;
• Loss of employment land;
• No requirement for this development other than to maximise profit;
• Height and scale of the proposed new apartment blocks would not fit in with
the character of the Conservation Area;
• Proposed apartments would overlook, to an unacceptable degree, the
adjacent residential properties;
• Additional traffic would cause an unacceptable increase in noise and traffic
nuisance;
• Proposal would have an adverse impact on the character and appearance on
the Conservation Area;
• Height of the proposed new apartment blocks are almost doubling the height
of the existing portal framed buildings on the site;
• Proposal is not in accordance with the Council's New Housing Development
Supplementary Document;
• Insufficient provision of open space within the site;

In response to the second round of public consultation, a total of 38 no.
objection letters were received. The grounds of the objection remain along the
lines of the summary given above.                                                                continued . . .