Save Longridge

Unmet demand for housing by people working in the Longridge area has not been demonstrated. Indeed, in recent years significant employers have moved out of the area or gone out of business.

On the balance of probabilities demand for housing in Longridge comes from people intending to commute to Preston, Manchester, or Liverpool. There transport infrastructure to these centres is already inadequate, with no rail services, and bottlenecks at Grimsargh and Broughton. These problems have already been worsened by developments that have been allowed in Longridge, and should not be exacerbated further.

Due to the lack of proper definition of the term 'Sustainable' developers freely use the adjective when submitting proposals through planning. However, a common sense approach here should be taken - how can a development of Longridge for people intending to commute by car to other areas be aligned to any policy to reduce carbon emissions? The answer is clear - it cannot.

It is possible for covenants to be placed on property to ensure they are for local people and workers - however I have seen few examples of this being done In Longridge.

The developer's proposals, without exception, are thinly-veiled examples of financial opportunism undertaken without any interest of the community itself.

Enough is enough!