I was very interested to read your anonymous correspondents views on the motives for the resistance to the proposed school in Harcourt Street. I have no idea whether he is right in his conclusions. I would say however that the Express records a continual list of Council Planning errors and so the probability of Harcourt St being yet another seems much higher than the correspondents claims that the toffs in Harcourt Street are bullying the poor council tenants in Fir Road. That explanation seems patronising to the point of absurdity. Conversely I have equally no firm idea that Mrs Oliver is correct in her assertion that the Harcourt Street site is seriously contaminated with toxic elements. From what I understand from her letters to this column she claims the ex tip in Harcourt Street is the same as other old tipping sites in Stockport that have been refused planning permission. Furthermore it appears a less than required testing regime has indeed shown serious toxic contamination. Surely any sensible person would expect a proper and full scientific testing of the site especially as young schoolchildren are involved.
In fairness the Council seems to be slightly veering to this view as it now judges the risk of a full scientific examination as Very High. That seems a very significant change in attitude.
Finally the attitude of the ruling LibDem Group seems at odds with the liberal and democratic attitude of their National Party.
3 Cllrs in particular, Cllrs Goddard, Weldon and Porgess seem to have nailed their reputations and possibly their jobs to the mast by insisting without firm evidence that there is nothing wrong with the site. Mrs Oliver has also pointed out that the cost of the new school is considerably higher than national standards and even the cost of other local schools. To borrow the conspiracy theory attitude of your correspondent are these Cllrs protesting too much because they have something to hide especially when a simple survey as required by the Environment Agency would settle the issue.
I visited Harcourt St area and Fir Road area on Wednesday 13th August 2008 to observe the road layout and general appearances. The timing was between 13.30 and 14.30. The weather was fine and sunny. The schools were on holiday.
Observations
1 Harcourt St as such is a series of artificially blocked off sections and it is impossible to follow in one go the full length of the road. I saw one access point to the green area which is presumed to be the proposed school. It is a pleasant enough road with off road parking for some houses and with adjacent Sts running to Gorton Road being terraced houses with limited parking. I don’t know what part if any Harcourt St will actually be used to access the school. If it is then the current layout will make for a very congested area with confused access points.
2 I suspect the main access to the school will be in the Longford Rd, Mill Lane and Windmill Lane one way system. All these streets were very busy even at the time I visited. The right turn from Mill Lane to Windmill Lane, which I did, is almost impossible and very dangerous because of limited visibility.
Longford St is a mainly terraced, one way street from Gorton Rd with limited residential parking. I can’t imagine residents being too happy with a greater influx of traffic. Probably everything going to the school would come down either this street or Windmill Lane.
Windmill Lane is full of bends, narrow in parts, unsuitable for a lot more parking and I would imagine that School buses would find it tricky to negotiate. As I say the turn into Mill Lane and from Mill Lane into Windmill Lane is very dodgy.
Mill Lane is a dead end leading from Gorton Road into which it feeds as a one way st and as a two way narrow lane from its’ junction with Longford St and Windmill Lane. Basically it is a country lane with some very nice housing developments providing quite a bit of traffic. At its’ dead end it appears to be a walking access to open ground.
I am guessing this is where the proposed turning circle is to be put. Nothing is ever impossible and certainly walkers who visit would equally find it useful to park their cars in such an area. However at the least it would destroy that part of a very nice quiet, narrow country lane and at worst the narrow width of the lane would make it extremely difficult for buses to safely travel. Also if buses are using the turning circle how will the cars of parents turn round, the road is too narrow for that.
Of all the streets, to my mind Mill Lane presented the greater problems.
SHEILA I THINK ROADS ARE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THEIR WIDTH AND THIS WILL DETERMINE HOW AND BY WHAT THEY CAN BE USED!!!.
For instance Emergency vehicles (fire engines and ambulances) require a certain access width AND ESPECIALLY TO THE LARGEST SCHOOL IN STOCKPORT.
3 I took the opportunity to visit the Fir Road School. What a contrast. The road access is excellent. I know there is a reservoir behind but would this restrict its’ expansion? It was much more pleasant to drive there than the difficult narrow and congested area around Harcourt St
4 Someone wrote in the Express that the toffs in Harcourt St were bullying the much poorer people around Fir Road. I am no expert in evaluating house prices. Whilst there are some very nice houses especially in Mill Lane the houses around Fir Road and Longford Rd West seemed actually better and in no way did it appear a poor area compared to the streets between Gorton Rd and Harcourt St.
Conclusion
I believe the evidence shows there is a traffic problem especially around Mill Lane. Fir Rd appears to have much better access with easier parking and bus access.
Recommendations
1 I think you should get a photograph/video record of the 2 areas.
2 You should obtain from Traffic Services the various width classifications of streets along with any recommendations of limits of traffic usage, parking etc.
Part of this should be any considerations that need to be made for Emergency Plans ( what happens if the school sets on fire)
3 Someone should measure the pavement widths, and road widths of Harcourt, Windmill, Longford Rd, Mill Lane, Longford Rd West and Browning Rd.
Hope this helps and please come back if something is not clear enough.
LOL
XXXX
ps Have you seen Goddard has lost the Town Centre Development. The bungs can’t have been big enough.
On 10 Aug 2008, at 08:55, sheilaoliver wrote:
Sir
Attached is a Google Earth map which explains some of the Harcourt Street traffic problems.
Those houses on the two estates within the red lines can only leave via very narrow Mill Lane. Two days before the planning decision meeting the Head of Traffic decided the traffic proposals for the school were unworkable and introduced the turning circle at the top of Mill Lane. So, in the morning when traffic is leaving those houses, and most have two or even four cars, then parents will be doing U-turns in front of them into the turning circle where the council says they can park and walk their children up to the school and the council also says they can’t park, so presumably they will leave their young children to walk up the dangerous lane and negotiate the unworkable school entrance on their own.
At the top of Mill Lane is Windmill Lane, a main road artery and when the M60 floods, which it does a lot, traffic leaves the motorway to use Windmill Lane to escape it.
Never mind the contamination issues, I and everyone else who lives there thinks this proposal is complete madness and very dangerous for children.
What do you think? I respect your advice. Do you think a turning circle on a narrow, dangerous lane in those circumstance is workable. I know you will tell me the truth – warts and all. Am I exaggerating the problem?
LibDem Executive Councillor Martin Candler. A man with minimal lifetime exposure to Vosene. A fat, greasy chap with immense strain put on his shirt buttons, usually attired, for some obscure reason in sunny Stockport, in a creased, beige, linen suit.
I recall this councillor rudely gesturing over his shoulder at local people in the public gallery and accusing them of planting asbestos on the toxic waste dump site to stop the school going ahead.
