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'No' plea to plans blight

Emma Mountford
27/12/2006

NEIGHBOURS in a quiet street have joined forces once again to fight plans to build a 24 hour office complex at the back of their homes.

Residents on Andover Avenue formed an action group back in July and bombarded Oldham Council with dozens of letters of objection after plans were submitted to build four two storey office units and 101 car parking spaces at Greenside Way - just metres from their back gardens.

The plans were later withdrawn, but last week residents vowed to fight again as the proposal was put back on the table.

According to plans on the council website the complex would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Resident Michael McCabe said: "We are determined to fight this all the way. All the neighbours are really annoyed.

"We are not against building on the land completely but we think it should be on a smaller scale and double the distance away from our homes.

"What they have proposed is a monstrosity. It is only metres away from my back garden which would be overlooked from the office windows.

"It is going to cover a huge area of land and the offices will be about ten metres high. The car park will be at the back of my garden and will be lit up at all times because the development will be open 24 hours a day. It will be an intrusion of privacy."

Because the development would back on to the Rochdale Borough boundary, as well as the homes of Alkrington residents, the Middleton planning sub committee was consulted over the plans when they were last put forward.

The decision to withdraw the application in August came just days after the planning sub committee formally objected to the development.

The main causes for concern among residents is the close proximity of the two-storey office blocks to the homes and the loss of privacy due to gardens being overlooked.

But one of the biggest concerns is for the wildlife which inhabits the land.

Mr McCabe added: "There are bats which feed around here. We have got a film showing bats flying about one of my neighbours gardens."

The residents plan to send objections to Oldham Council over the next fortnight before the consultation period ends on 8 January.