Hello everybody. I have lived

I am old enough to witness the downfall of the mining industry and all the jobs that these changes took with it. I am more than aware of the financial hardship incurred upon 'out of work' miners. My father was such a miner. He died at 44 years old with silicosis due to his coal mining days, and inhilation of coal dust. So I am not an advocate of coal mining as a career choice anyway, and personally I am very glad that these mines are shut. If it saves a few lives, I hope they are shut forever and good riddance to all of them! There are safer & cleaner ways of creating energy and these should be explored.

As for the old Parkside site- well build what you will on the useless ex-parkside mining site - Tesco's/Asda / blah de blah- go for it. But to build on the surrounding greenfield sites that are well - urm - greenfield - does kinda break a few planning laws. Is this one rule for one and another for another? I am a self builder and have been refused from enough OL6, OL7 and Green feild sites in my time to know the regulations.

Why object? At first part of me thought it would be a possible improvement for this area- but it isn't.

An area of amazing historical importance will be detroyed forever and become nothing more than an industrial estate. I personally have no other choice but to block this plan.I am a land owner in the area with many many properities that would possibly go up in value should the Astral proposals go through. That is not the point - it isn't about money - it is about the wonderful area of Newton Le Willows being conserved for what it is.

If you can't find a job here - move! The Omega project is fast on our tail with thousands of jobs for everyone. The people of Newton and Earlestown can re-train and re-invent themselves into something new & differant. The coal mines have long since gone and the Polish logistics companies probably won't be in that much need of new HGV drivers!

Don't think or foolishly believe that the new Astral development will be our future and our future prosperity.

I am a stranger and you dont know me from Adam, just take my word on it - it will be the end of Newton. Please think again.

Incidentally if anybody from the PAG is reading this will you please desist from shoving propaganda through my letterbox, I don't read it anyway.

I THANK YOU !!

Dave Harrop

I see its ok for you to insult anyone you feel like,
!! The hippies are back !!
nimbys and naysers

But its being Racist when someone with an opposite view to your own mentions a Polish Company?
It makes you look like a person who thinks all arguements are won by just shouting LOUDER, instead of reasonable discussion.
Say No 2 Parkside

This is in response to sheila's post. Two points i would like to object to with your post, firstly is the statement where you say you have many many properties in the area.... why? these properties were probably reasonably priced homes for young families, starter homes to allow the young generations of the town to stay within their home area with the support of family around them, without the need to pay for childcare as extended families are within easy reach, without local jobs they are unable to afford to buy local homes, as they have been priced out of the market by others buying these homes for making a profit.
Secondly you tell people- If you cant find a job here- move...? People want to stay in Newton, it has become a commuter area as it is, where in Newton, are people working in decent jobs, which enable them to obtain large mortgages to buy the nice houses in the new estates around the town? These jobs are out of town, which means more cars on the roads leading in and out of Newton. Increasing our local air pollution levels, and decreasing quality of life.
The emphasis should be on raising the areas profile for the right reasons and i believe that by bringing the development to Parkside it will bring jobs to the area which will enable young Newtonians to obtain jobs and mortgages to support themselves and future generations of Proud Newtonians.
I appreciate that greenbelt land is going to be built upon and i also regret this, but when you look at the difference between building a house or houses for personal profit, and an industrial employment area, give me the employment everyday. As it is at the moment this land is not freely and openly available to the people of Newton and surrounding areas, once it has been developed it will also be landscaped and have walkways, cycle tracks and bridle paths to allow people access to the area.

Siobhan

Newton Residents association held a special general meeting last night at St Aelreds, at an estimate I would say approx 300 people attended, Residents from all over the Newton and Earlestown area assembled to hear and to question David Watts MP about Astrals proposed Rail, Road Terminal.

Many concerns were put to Mr watts, who just made himself look more and more foolish as the night went on, not able to answer even the simplest of questions without referring back to his Astral supplied media blurb sheet.

At one point when he was shown A4 sized photographs of queued cars along the A49 and Winwick Church, Swan Pub, he professed to not even knowing the location.

David was asked about the proposed Astral supplied figures for commercial traffic in and out of the site, and what he thought about the figures from Astral showing that a commercial vehicle is expected to travel in and out of the development every nine seconds, this is on-top of the expected 6000 cars, He was asked if he thought traffic management proposed by astral would be suitable, he answered that they would, he seemed surprised when told that the only traffic management so far proposed by Astral is a set of traffic lights at the Bulls Head, and that Astrals answer to M6 congestion caused by their vehicles queuing to get into the site, would be to park them along the M6 hard shoulder, until the congestion clears, It didn’t seem to bother David that parking on the hard shoulder like this would be illegal and be a hazard to other normal traffic.

He was asked how the Rail traffic is to enter and exit the site, he answered that they would have access to and from the main rail line, he added that Astral had proposed that the majority of the rail traffic, approx 35 trains , would travel in and out at night, between 11pm to 6am, so that they would not effect normal daily commuter rail traffic, and that because the main line in that area of Newton is mostly outside of inhabited areas, that it would not cause annoyance to locals.

He was then informed that this was totally wrong, and that he should read the Astral proposals again, because that is not what is proposed, and what he suggested would be impossible, that because of the differing levels in the landmass, that the main Rail line that does pass the site is in a cutting which is so deep that loaded trains could not be able to exit up any gradient in the rails needed to enter the astral site from that main line.

He was informed that if he read the proposal again, he would see that Astral have now recognised this error in their original rail management proposal, and have now proposed that trains travelling to and from the site, will now exit and rejoin the main line at Winwick junction, travel onward to Earlestown via the Vulcan, Wargrave, and at Earlestown cross onto the local lines, pass through the town, travelling past the Mesnes park, through Newton Station and into the development via this extended route, taking every train right through the most populated areas of the town.

David said that he didn’t realise this, and that he would have to ask Astral about this.

Mr Watts was asked what he thought local residents would think about 30 trains in, and 30 trains out, every night between 11pm and 6am, all travelling at no more than 10 miles per hour, all approx 1/4 of a mile long, at 10 to 15 minute intervals all night every night.

As with many other questions he just smirked, and looked lost, then again went back to his Astral Blurb Speak, or said again and again, that he would have to ask the developer for more information.

It was suggested to Mr Watts that considering he has said on many occasion that he has been working with the developers on this for many years, that when actually asked for info, seemed to know less than people who had only seen the development proposals in the planning application less than 30 days ago

Throughout the 2 1/2 hours approximately 30 to 40 proper, different, well structured and interesting questions were asked, and it was generally accepted within the 300+ people who attended, that not one answer from Mr Watts was seen as anything except regurgitated Astral Blurb, not one single person asked any question which had a bias 'in favour' of the development, not because they were pushed out, or missed, but because there just wasn’t anyone it seem in favour of the development, a show of hands at the end of the meeting, showed that not a single person from the 300 strong meeting supported the development, it showed that 2 people abstained from a yes or no showing, and that every other person in the hall, some 300 strong, showed their hands against the development going ahead

Dave watts didn’t participate in this vote, and couldn’t face even looking up at the audience who showed their hands against the meeting, preferring to investigate the text on his invitation letter instead of facing reality

In closing, David Watts said he would take the comments and questions away to meet with the developers, in a bid to iron out the objections, so that the development could proceed without anyone being concerned.

It seemed to all, that Mr David Watts MP, must have been listening to some hidden iPOD, because he obviously had not been listening to his constituents.

No one at that meeting professed to want this Astral development to go ahead

Say No2Parkside

I am amazed at the 'Say No2Parkside' contribution to this debate, in particular the account of the Newton Residents meeting at St Aelred's. You are not doing your cause any good by posting this sort of hysterical nonsense. Statements such as 'As with many other questions he just smirked, and looked lost, then again went back to his Astral Blurb Speak' and 'Dave Watts didn’t participate in this vote, and couldn’t face even looking up at the audience' and 'It seemed to all, that Mr David Watts MP, must have been listening to some hidden iPOD' are very loaded and imply that he might have too close a relationship with Astral. I wonder what David Watts thinks of them? The fact of the matter is that the town needs an industry to replace its existing source of income (i.e. commuter homes, social security benefits, minor crime, drug dealing, etc.). This is an opportunity. The area involved is not a place of outstanding natural beauty nor does it have any historical interest whatsoever. There will be a turnoff from the M6 and some extra rail traffic. But it will bring work and money and self-respect into the town, and it should be welcomed.

I'm clearly not as knowlegeable about how transport depots operate as Dave H but my gut feeling is that not only is this a 'good thing' for Newton/Earlestown but it's actualy also a 'good thing' for anyone who would like to see as much freight as possible travel by rail rather than road. We all see on a daily basis not only how freight lorries choke the Motorways but also how dangerous such big vehicles are when mixed indiscriminately with ordinary domestic cars etc. If terminals like this increase rail traffic at the same time as reducing road traffic then I'm all for it.
Like Dave, I cant help noticing that the signage of the 'stop Parkside' lobby suggests a well organised pressure group trying to make itself appear more widely supported than it actualy is. Lets welcome this new development for the economic benefits it will bring to Newton/Earlestown and the new life it will breathe into our community and let's also welcome it as part of a 'Big Picture' which will see our roads becoming less crowded across the region/country generaly.