Members of the Borough council’s cabinet have spoken out following Tuesday evening’s cabinet meeting, which saw an option to build 600 houses off Altys Lane and St Helens Road in Ormskirk rejected by cabinet. Two alternative development options will now go out to public consultation later in the year.
Adrian Owens, the council’s Deputy Leader and a councillor for the town said, “The option to build over a huge chunk of prime countryside on this important gateway into Ormskirk was, for me, a non-starter. The council’s own sustainability assessment indicated that this option was highly negative particularly in relation to traffic impacts and safeguarding the countryside from encroachment. Now it has been rejected we can use the next stages including the public consultation to look more critically at some of the difficulties posed by the other two options.
Paul Greenall, councillor for Derby Ward said “although this option includes some positive aspects, such as a sports village for Ormskirk, I feel they would be overshadowed by the negative impacts of the increased traffic and the loss of valuable green belt land. But I agree with Cllr Owens, Ormskirk is not out of the woods just yet and we must examine how the other options might impact on our town”
Cllr Hopley said she was pleased that the Ormskirk strategic site had been rejected. “It was simply too damaging for Ormskirk”, she said. “However both the other options allow for development at Edge Hill to tackle the student accommodation and traffic issues that the town has faced in recent years.”
David Westley, who represents part of Ormskirk on the county council said, “This was the right step to protect Ormskirk’s environment. A balance needs to be struck but Option A went too far and Cabinet has made the right decision."David Sudworth, Derby Ward Conservative Borough Council candidate, tonight welcomed news that plans to build on land off St Helens Road and Altys Lane,Ormskirk, have been scrapped.
David, along with concerned local residents, attended the Cabinet meeting at West Lancashire Borough Council this evening, which saw councillors ditch Option A.
David said: “I have been against Option A from the moment I saw it. I am delighted the Conservative Cabinet listened to my concerns, and those of local residents, and stopped these plans going forward to public consultation."