Developers McCarthy and Stone want to build retirement flats on the
Greaves Hotel site. The plan is to convert the Hotel and build 4 storey
blocks of accommodation on the car park. There would be around 50
residents, aged 80ish, plus 17 staff who would be on site at all times
since this development is between sheltered housing and a care home. There
would also be an on-site restaurant.
As local residents, we are concerned about the large scale of this
development. A 4 storey building would tower over the area, blocking the
view completely from the main road and dominating nearby houses, cutting
off light and infringing privacy with overlooking windows.
Residents in nearby streets are also worried about car parking - where
will 50 residents plus 17 staff and assorted visiting health
professionals, friends and family, park ? There is no way they can all fit
onto the existing site, which will have 2 large blocks and landscaping.
So that means an overspill into Ash Grove and nearby streets,
inconveniencing residents and causing a traffic hazard in what is already
a built up area.
And what is the new development going to be built from ? The developers
talked about a "statement" building at a meeting I attended with them as
part of the "pre-consultation" - does this mean glass and concrete totally
out of character with the stone and slate of Lancaster
This blog is our chance to make our voice heard so the planners and
developers do not ignore our wishes and make money at our expense. We only
live here after all.
Parking here is going to be nightmare. Why do the developers think they can create parking problems without anyone noticing ? similar developments by McCarthy and Stone only have a few parking spaces, with a sign advising people to use the public road.
ReplyDeleteI feel very concerned about the parking. I live on Belle Vue Terrace and we are obliged to park in other residential streets because of the amount of vandalism that we experience on BVT. In addition, as has recently been mentioned on the national news, new cars are getting wider all the time, and when we recently bought a new (well 3 years old!) car we were unable to find a car that was narrow enough to park outside the house and allow room for other cars (also wider of course!) to pass without damage to our car and/or theirs. Consequently, and with great reluctance, we are obliged to park in Ash Grove, but Ash Grove is often full so that we have to go to other residential streets. Some cars currently park on the Greaves Hotel car park, and those too would be obliged to find on-street parking. Unless there were more than adequate parking on the new development the pressure on street parking would become intolerable - it nearly is already!
ReplyDelete