Access road safety fears

Warton Parish Council has warned the building of a new junction off Lytham Road could cause injury or fatalities

Members of Warton Parish Council have said they have no issue with the seven homes planned for the former Georges Garage site in the village.

But the council has major concerns about a new access road to the development from Lytham Road – calling the route “highly questionable.”

The application, which is to be heard by Fylde Council’s development management committee today, is the latest housing development planned for the village, following several other schemes on Lytham Road, as well as a new Enterprise Zone linked to the BAE Systems site.

Tony Wood, town clerk for Warton Parish Council, said: “In the matter of applied access from Lytham Road, the proposal to place a further road junction at this point off Lytham Road, to provide access to a residential development, is highly questionable in light of the current highway and road changes being undertaken.

“The Enterprise Zone, new access to BAE Systems and the neighbouring retail properties of Tesco and Subway are all adding to a gridlock of Lytham Road and a further junction cannot be supported.

“A junction at this point will create a bigger, serious traffic hazard with extreme risk of accidents with injury, if not fatalities, to pedestrians, cyclists and motorists on this stretch of road.”

Applicants Two Brooks Valley Ltd had originally applied to Fylde Council to build 36 apartments on the land, but this was reduced to 13 properties and since further reduced to seven homes.

Fylde Council had met to discuss the proposals in April, but asked for further information on vehicle access.

A transport consultation by Two Brooks Valley said, because of the small number of houses being built, it was unlikely there would be a build-up of traffic in the area – reducing the possibility of accidents.

It added: “It is considered that the proposed site access is sufficient to accommodate the level of traffic travelling to the proposed residential development.

“The right turn lane is sufficient length to allow up to three vehicles to queue to turn right into the residential site without blocking ahead traffic on Lytham Road or blocking right turners into the retail site.

“Given that there would be around one vehicle entering the residential site every 30 minutes during the busiest period, it is considered that a queue of more than three vehicles waiting to turn right into the housing site is very unlikely to occur.”

The plan was due to be heard today from 10am at Fylde Town Hall.