Residents bombard planners with housing-plan objections

Land off Second Avenue in Newton Hill has been earmarked for development by Taylor-Wimpey, but the plans have angered those living nearby.

The parcel of land, which has no previous development history, has been allocated for housing in the council’s most recent local plan.

The blueprints show eight two-bedroom homes, 49 three-bed and 27 properties with four or more bedrooms.

While many neighbouring residents accept this, most see traffic congestion as a key issue with just one entrance to site pencilled in from Second Avenue.

Exiting traffic would then have to head along First Avenue to access Leeds Road, the only main road out of the area.

More than 30 separate letters have been sent to Wakefield Council’s planning department in protest to the plans.

A spokesman for the Friends of Newton Hill - set up to fight developments in the area - said: “The most issues that people have is the exit and entrance that is proposed.

“There’s 84 houses, but there’s going to be 195 car parking spaces.

“It beggars belief that they are all going to have to come down First and Second Avenue, it’s incredibly tight and people just park on the pavements anyway.

“Getting out onto Leeds Road is just a tragedy waiting to happen. People park at the entrance so you have to almost move into the middle of the road to see if anything is coming.

“It really is appalling. We believe there’s got to be a more suitable alternative.”

Initially, the public had until December 8 to have their say, but the deadline has been extended and more people are being encouraged to write in.

“The more people who speak up the more chance we have got that the council will listen,” added the spokesman for the action group.

“Hopefully, common sense will prevail.”

People can log on to Wakefield Council’s website to have their say at https://planning.wakefield.gov.uk/online-applications/ and enter the application number 16/02745/FUL.