COUNCILLORS this evening (February 14) voted unanimously in favour of a 142-home development on land near the historical Newton Common Racecourse site in Newton-le-Willows.

Concerns were raised at planning committee, which was held at 5.30pm at the town hall, about the proportion of affordable housing on the site, which will be just six per cent.

The 4.87 hectare site - which is located around 1km from Earlestown town centre - is a greenfield site allocated for development under St Helens' existing Unitary Development Plan and planning officers were recommending the bid be approved.

This is not part of the draft local plan which proposes building housing on brownfield sites and possibly releasing green belt land in the borough to accommodate further new homes.

The dwellings will vary between three- and four-bedroomed detached, semi-detached and mews type properties, and there will be two vehicular access roads - from Swan Road and Short Street, providing access onto Common Road.

It was agreed at committee that a traffic island will be installed at one of the junctions as a result of councillors' concerns over traffic speed issues.

Fourteen letters opposing the development were received by the council, with increased traffic congestion, impact of the construction, impact on residents' privacy, loss of view, loss of the Newton Common Racecourse site, impact on wildlife and the strain on local services such as schools, dentist and GPs.

However, the council is recommending that councillors approve this application subject to conditions.

Cllr Martin Bond questioned why this application should be accepted when two earlier bids had been refused, and asked what would happen if anything is found when digs take place, given that the site is of potential historical interest.

He also said: "It is lamentable that we are only getting six per cent affordable housing as this would give more people the aspirations to own their own homes."  

However, all 13 councillors voted to pass the application as recommended, and to help meet Government-set targets for home building over the coming years.

Construction works will take place from 8am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, 8am to 1pm on Saturdays and no work on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Bids for large-scale housing developments at the site were refused in 2002 and 2003, though councillors had been advised to approve the second bid.