Supermarket

Mr Ian Thompson
Service Director, Planning, Transportation and Highways
Newton Bar,
Leeds Road,
Wakefield
WF1 2TX
3rd December 2010
Dear Sir,
Planning application 10/02751/SUB01
As you will be aware I was the only objector except for Wakefield MDC Highways department to planning application (08/02751/FUL) **** of neighbourhood food store together with associated landscaping and highway works Junction off Girnhill Lane / Wakefield Road, Featherstone West Yorkshire. You should not have approved the application without full Highway’s approval along with appropriate drawings, yet you allowed this to happen? Why when it is standard practice within the authority to satisfy the planner prior to the application going before the planning committee? Now you have a situation where the applicant has appealed conditions and won, and yet had you refused the application on Highway grounds, and then the applicant took it to appeal, then the Planning Inspector would more than likely to have refused the application until a scheme satisfied the Highways department. Notwithstanding your email to me on the 18th October 2010, with what I would class as an improper response. I did not accept the contents and therefore I need to comment on the proposed application 10/02751/SUB01. Once again I wish to put on record as I did in 2008, that the current application is unsafe as far as road safety on both the A645 Pontefract and Wakefield road and Girnhill Lane where safety is a priority and should not be compromised until it is completed and a safe standard up to standard of the Department of Transport.
Why in this instance are you not using the same officer who approved (08/02751/FUL)?
The following are my comments:-
1.   The single access from Pontefract Road is unsafe inasmuch as, any car turning into the site when the bollards are up will create a danger and will cause confusion when the car tries to reverse out on to the main road, it would be better to eliminate it to save any confusion. Drawing number 01 revision W refers.
2.   The delivery lorry access and egress from Girnhill Lane is far from adequate, even though the access has been widened right up to the existing house 5 Girnhill Lane, the access is too tight, without the lorry going onto the opposite side of Girnhill Lane as my attached illustration shows, note the turning curve and if you notice the lorry goes tight up to the kerb line leaving no room for error.
3.   When the delivery lorry has to reverse in between the cars to access the loading bay is also extremely tight and leaves no room for error, your Highways dept are aware of this.
4.   When the lorry is to egress the site there are numerous problems:-
A What happens when a lorry it to egress the site meets another lorry entering the site? This will mean one of them having to reverse creating a safety hazard.
B There is NO visibility splay to the south of the gas sub station owing to the very high brick wall creating a danger for both the driver whose vision is impaired without going into the centre of Girnhill Lane and also pedestrians alike.
5. Drawing number 01 revision W, the traffic islands appear to be sub standard as there are already problems with the new island locations, noticeable when turning right out of the right hand Lane from Station Lane towards Wakefield. Because of the island locations, there will be problems turning right into Girnhill Lane from Wakefield; it will stop all traffic to Pontefract? It is also possible to widen the A645 as indicated on the attached drawing.
As you will be aware, the stumbling block is number 5 Girnhill Lane and Lidl ought to buy this from ASDA, and re design the site to make it safe for all concerned, otherwise road safety will be compromised.
If Lidl then own the site, I have provided a draft layout with a one way lorry delivery access and car parking for 89 cars, which ought to satisfy both Lidl and the owners of 54 Pontefract Road who will have car access. I am sure that The Traffic Management Plan proposed could accommodate my idea? I think it appropriate that your Chief Executive and the Legal Department should be aware as well as the planning and highways committee.
When I sent my objection / proposal in November 2008, I copied in all of the Planning and Highways Committee by email. They chose to ignore both the Wakefield MDC Highways Department and myself; I do hope that the current Committee will not do the same. To reiterate my comments it is important that they take heed or pay the consequences.
Yours sincerely
Brian Clayton
C.c. Planning and Highways Committee, Chief Executive, Legal Services Featherstone District Councillors