Star date: 8th March 2019

LORRIES HALTED AS CAMPBELL ROAD COMMUNITY MAKES STAND AGAINST BELLWAY HOMES

Three lorries were stopped from entering the Bellway Homes Campbell Road site this morning, as around three dozen community campaigners protested against the lack of protection for the neighbourhood against site traffic and pollution.

"Bellway has signed a CEMP [Construction Environmental Management Plan] which is about how to protect the local community amongst other things" said Carol Boyce of Saving Our Neighbourhood "We've been through it with a highlighter pen and they are not obeying what they've signed on to do."

Full details here...

The ongoing campaign against Bellway Homes building 241 houses at Campbell Road in Swinton took a further turn this morning when around three dozen campaigners protested outside the site entrance, stopping three lorries from gaining entry.

With the threat of an injunction by Bellway Homes against them (see here), the protesters stayed on the pavements, effectively blocking the huge lorries from turning into the site as they would have had to go over the kerbs to gain access.

The protest centred on Bellway Homes, which has taken over the site to start building show houses, and has signed a CEMP, or Construction Environmental Management Plan, pledging to do certain things to mitigate construction.

"Bellway has signed a CEMP which is about how to protect the local community amongst other things" said Carol Boyce of Saving Our Neighbourhood "We've been through it with a highlighter pen and they are not obeying what they've signed on to do.

"For instance, there's supposed to be a 10mph speed limit for site traffic and on their CEMP there are all the areas where they should have speed limits signs...but there are none" she explained "When I protested about that, they said we will 're-erect' the signs higher up the post to avoid vandalism; but there have never been any signs to be vandalised so that's their attitude towards the community.

"They tell me they've got mitigation for the mud on the road but I've sent them videos of thick mud on the road, I could go on and on but it doesn't matter to them" she added "Pollution, which we have had professionally monitored, has  gone up 112% since they started work, and is now 45 in certain parts of the estate which is way over the limit. It's because of the amount of traffic hanging around with engines running all day and all that diesel going out into the community. People are suffering with worse asthma and breathing."

As Carol was speaking, there was a huge articulated lorry carrying a digger, with another truck behind it with its engine running. Site traffic was constant, on a very small road leading to a green area used by dog walkers, children and cyclists.

"We're here today to say to Bellway 'You have to start taking care of this community'" said Carol "It's dangerous. This single access is not working; we need a second access."

She adds that even firefighters were shocked that there was only one access when attending a fire on the site a week ago... "They asked if this was the only access into 241 houses, and said 'We can't believe anyone passed this'. So the fire brigade are aghast that they are going to have to rely on one access for the people who are going to live there; it goes on and on. It never should have been passed. However, it's here now. They're throwing up their show houses but they have to start protecting this community..."

For a full background see previous Salford Star articles – click here and click here