Ribble Valley: Fears for homes and people from Bowland tunnel traffic

Objections have been raised by locals over United Utilities’ plans to send heavy vehicles through villages north of Clitheroe, such as Waddington, during proposed work for the Haweswater aqueduct scheme, which could last eight years or so.

Construction vehicle routes have been proposed by United Utilities for the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme, which is also known as HARP. The project aims to update an old water supply system running from the Lake District to Greater Manchester through Lancashire.

The original Haweswater aqueduct was developed between the 1930s and 1950s. But a new tunnel is needed for the future, says the water company.

Suggested HGV routes have been drawn-up by United Utilities for haulage vehicles coming from the A59 and Clitheroe northwards into the Forest of Bowland, which is officially classed as a protected area of outstanding natural beauty.

United Utilities will have to transport materials or equipment to various sites and compounds, and also shift waste material taken from new tunnels to an existing quarry on Waddington Fell, north of the village of Waddington.

The centre of Waddington

Overall, a loop-shaped haulage route is suggested, including new HGV tracks and compounds in fields and valleys, and two temporary bridges built for HGVs only across the rivers Ribble and Hodder.

United Utilities recently submitted a planning application to Ribble Valley Council for the scheme. Councillors indicated their approval, with various conditions and pending a legal agreement, after a debate. However, the Haweswater plan could yet be called-in by the government and national Planning Inspectorate.

In Waddington, north of Clitheroe, residents Simon Parr, Nikki Smith and Steve Nightingale, all live in the Square, which is in the centre of the village.

Simon Parr outside his house at Waddington near Clitheroe. Steve Nightingale is on the right, outside his home being passed by a car. The old bridge takes traffic to and from West Bradford. Haweswater tunnel Haweswater tunnel planning application by

The Higher Buck pub and other pubs, the post office and shops are all nearby. Waddington is a popular place for visitors, including walkers, cyclists and families, and has a range of holiday accommodation too.

Simon, Nikki and Steve fear the impact of heavy lorries will harm their old homes and an old bridge crossing Waddington Brook. The bridge has connecting stonework to Steve’s house and also connecting stonework into Simon and Nikki’s adjoining land.

Simon told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I was at the Ribble Valley Council planning meeting in March about the Haweswater plan for this area. But I didn’t think Waddington was represented very well. There was a lot of people in the public gallery from Waddington but nobody who spoke about Waddington specifically.

“I felt the Ribble Valley councillors didn’t really understand the issues and what calling-in means. The process of calling-in a planning application can help councils and council staff. It could bring big, national resources into scrutinising the Haweswater aqueduct plans. It may still be called-in. I hope it is.”

He felt that calling-in the plan, which include proposed transport routes, to the secretary of state would challenge the planned route.

Simon added: “We can be selfish about how we think about this plan, by only focusing on our own houses and our village. Or we can take a wider, holistic viewpoint, by considering the whole community and other issues. But I think we can satisfy everyone if the plans are really scrutinised and alternative routes are seriously considered.”

Simon said: “One of the things we want is a new haulage route avoiding the centre of Waddington. Under the current plans, HGVs would head north out of Clitheroe, near the cement works, towards Waddington. There would also be some tracks or hard-standing areas in the fields off West Bradford Road in Waddington. From there, HGVs would then come in to the village of Waddington, crossing the old bridge over the brook, and then go uphill towards the fell, the quarry and the Forest of Bowland.

The centre of Waddington

“I’d like to see United Utilities have an alternative route which avoids the old centre of Waddington and the bridge. It could run up the east side of the village through fields. I don’t understand why this can’t be done.”

People walking to the village or the local primary school, located on West Bradford Road, face extra risks with more traffic, the Waddington objectors believe.

Simon said: "Loads of people, young and old, use the old bridge and the route along West Bradford Road to and from the village. In some places, there is no pavement. There’s people going to school and the Methodist Church. Elderly residents living in the almshouses will be at risk when walking to the village post office and church.

“The current United Utilities plan includes removing sections of gardens outside the almshouses and roadside verges at pinch-points along the road.  It’ll be like a motorway when it’s done. The whole rural character of the area will be harmed.”

Steve Nightingale lives opposite Simon and Nikki at The Square. His front door opens directly onto the road crossing the bridge over Waddington Brook towards the school and West Bradford.

Steve Nightingale at his house in the Square, Waddington near Clitheroe. The old bridge takes traffic to and from West Bradford. Haweswater tunnel planning application by United Utilities.

Steve said: “I have to peep-out of my doorway before actually stepping out of the house.  The road is immediately outside my front door. And the old stone bridge is directly connected to the walls of my house. It’s all part of the same structure. We can feel the vibrations whenever HGVs go past.

“We believe it’s a listed bridge with a weight limit. There’s a road sign nearby showing a 7.5 tonne weight limit. Elsewhere there might be 20-tonne limits on some stretches of the roads. But the lorries coming across in future could be much heavier than that – 50 tonnes. What will the impact be on the bridge and these old houses? And how will bigger lorries cope with narrow lanes and bridges? ”

Nikki said: “At the moment, there is already a lot of house building in Clitheroe on its northern side. Many HGV lorries and other big vehicles have to pass through Waddington to access those housing developments to avoid a low railway bridge in Clitheroe town centre. We also get quarry traffic coming through Waddington and other traffic going to the Forest of Bowland.

“The volume of traffic is already bad on these narrow streets and lanes. There have been accidents where bollards on The Square were hit and cornerstones on a house were damaged by a crane. If the Haweswater wagons come through the village too, we think the problems and accidents will just get worse.

“Currently, when traffic gets stuck, the vehicles just sit there. They block the daylight from our houses. It’s not good now. If more traffic comes, there will be more traffic jams, more dust, more noise, more daylight being blocked.”

“These are old houses. Some just sit on soft sand or soil, with hardly any foundations. We’ve just spent thousands of pounds on new windows for our house. Will United Utilities pay for structural surveys and monitor things during the work? The pointing is dropping out of the old bridge’s stonework.”

Nikki added: "Elsewhere in Waddington, a water pipe which runs the whole length of the village keeps fracturing and leaking. So more traffic will just increase the problems.”

She said United Utilities workers ‘continually repair’ the copper pipe which was allegedly laid too high within the road and will continue to fracture under intense vehicle traffic.

In mid-March, Ribble Valley councillors on the borough’s planning committee indicated their conditional support after a long debate.

Councillors  backed two recommendations relating to the planned Marl Hill and Bowland sections of the Haweswater tunnel. They agreed a recommendation that, if the government’s Secretary of State, Michael Gove MP,  decides the United Utilities application can be determined locally by Ribble Valley Council, it will be approved following the satisfactory completion of a legal agreement within six months. Or it will be delegated to the council’s director of economic development, working with a key planning committee councillor, if exceptional circumstances exist beyond the six months.

However, Michael Gove and the national Planning Inspectorate could yet step in and take responsibility for a decision on the current United Utilities plan. A decision will be known in coming weeks.

Nicola Hopkins, Ribble Valley Council’s director of economic development and planning, said: “The applications have been considered strictly in accordance with local and national planning policies.

“They were subject to 20 months of scrutiny, consideration and discussion, with the applicants, interested parties and statutory consultees, before being taken to the council’s planning and development committee, with a recommendation for approval.

“The recommendation includes numerous conditions from various consultees and our report to committee sets out that the objections from the statutory consultees have now been resolved.

“The applications are now with the Secretary of State to consider whether he wishes to call them in.”

At the March Ribble Valley planning meeting, United Utilities said its plans were endorsed by the OFWAT water services regulator and government’s DEFRA rural affairs department. The plans also meet the tests of the official Forest of Bowland Area Outstanding Natural Beauty, it said.

Waddington near Clitheroe. View of the road and fields looking towards West Bradford and Clitheroe in the distance. Haweswater tunnel planning application by United Utilities

In response to the Waddington fears raised by residents, a United Utilities spokesperson said this week: “We have consulted extensively with communities and stakeholders over the last three years, and we do understand the concerns that some people have.

“We are mindful of potential disruption during construction, and our planning applications included commitments to work closely with authorities and residents to minimise any impacts and ensure we remain considerate of their homes and businesses, and the environment. Ribble Valley Council’s planning committee has resolved to approve our applications and we await the decision of the Secretary of State.”