TEN years ago we bought a house on Plumpton Drive, Walmersley, for the lovely landscape and the "green belt" land in front of it, so I was outraged to read in the Bury Times that 80-plus caravans were about to descend on this rural landscape.
As we are in the Moorside constituency, and this was occurring right in front of our house, we were shocked that no one - neither ward councillors nor the local authority - had seemingly notified residents in this area, but that those in Elton and Woodhill had been informed.
They will suffer from additional traffic and pollution, not to mention safety being compromised, whereas residents here in Plumpton Drive will suffer visually. There will be noise pollution and a six-foot chainmail fence, and how lovely it will be to look out onto 80 caravans on a Sunday morning. Add to that a shower block the size of four houses, the 20 concrete slabs, and the tarmacadam paths.
For us, none of this can be covered by trees because our house is elevated. Normally, the most noise we "suffer" is the river flowing or the birds tweeting.
We attended the planning meeting on October 12 where a plan submitted by a tennis club in Holcombe Brook was refused because it involved green belt land. So why one rule in that case and a different one for us?
This caravan park is a pathetic idea, particularly as one at Burrs closed only two or three years ago. Noise in our area travels, especially at night. People leaving the Brown Cow pub might as well be in out in our front garden; kids camping in summer may as well pitch their tent in front of our house. We hear everything; cars on the cobbles, music, the list is endless.
No one has bothered to consider our situation; the devaluation of our house, the horrible blot on our ever-decreasing green belt land, and most of all our feelings. Also the facility can only be used by the Caravan Club so only a "chosen few" benefit.
Get a grip Labour and bring the silence back to Burrs Country Park. Meanwhile thanks to Julie Hartley, of the tenants and residents association at Woodhill, and councillors Denise Bigg and Yvonne Creswell for mentioning our concerns at the planning meeting.
FIGHTING FOR TRANQUILITY
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