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Neighbours lose fight to stop Metrolink ‘park and ride’ at Sale Water Park beauty spot

‘GREEN LUNG’: Sale Water Park is a popular attraction

Campaigners have lost their fight against plans to build a park-and-ride site at Sale Water Park.

The 300-space car park for tram users was approved by Trafford council despite claims it could affect wildlife at the green spot.

The park-and-ride site is part of Metrolink’s £1.4bn ‘big bang’ extension which will extend services to Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport.

The site will be linked to a new tram stop and will hold up to 300 vehicles, including 16 reserved spaces for disabled drivers.

Five councillors objected to the planning application for what they called a ‘significant urban development’ on greenbelt land.

Sale resident Mike Freeman said it would have a ‘huge impact on local wildlife’ and would lead to a rise in crime.

But Trafford’s planning councillors voted through the plans on the advice of officers with several conditions, including the need for police-approved security measures.

Metrolink says it will carry out an environmental management plan to minimise the impact of the development on the park.

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Where are all the courting couples going to go now?!

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They can afford to build a tramway and its bridge across the Mersey by Sale Water Park, which few people want or need at that location.
They can afford to build a park and ride at Sale Water Park, which few local people want or need.
They said they could never afford to build a road bridge across the Mersey to link Hardy Lane to the M60 at junction 6, which would have taken much traffic from southern Manchester out of Chorlton and Stretford.

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please do not let this happen, so much 'green' land has already been built on in the 36 years i have been a sale resident and it is no longer as lovely as it used to be. we really do not need more traffic, congestion, pollution etc.

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Seriously, how much do we trust planners on assessment of congestion. Sale will turn into the Salford Quays nightmare at rush hour where the lovely tram gets priority causing tail backs on work days and causes ridiculous car flow congestion on event show days. Sale residents be warned now, get organised and make the planners put the park and ride on some out of harms reach brown field site or else you will become chocked by 300 cars.

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NIMBYism...

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Sale Water Park is the ideal location for Park and Ride. It will soon outgrow its original size as it will serve commuters who no longer want to park in town, and more importantly, serve as overflow car park for Manchester Airport! 300 spaces? You will need more like 3000+ spaces...

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It's a sign of the times. I went once. While I have no doubt it provides recreation for many, I have no desire to walk past scallies and their pitbulls every few yards. I also believe it is a crime hotspot. Not suprising when you see some of the people who use it.

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The Gypsys won't be happy if they have to pay for parking

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As a resident of Priory Ward in Sale I have told my councillor that I 100% support this plan and hope very much that it progresses.

Those suggesting it will lead to congestion problems are simply showing a lack of understanding of the area and the traffic flows that you get around park and rides.

There seems to be some sort of naive belief that 300 cars will all turn up on mass and all depart on mass. Hysterically naive by the usually negative MEN commentators.

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I can understand the disabled spaces but is the point of Metrolink that people walk to the station, board the train to the destination? The Metrolink should be replacing the journey from Car to Tram not just some of it.

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But the site is immediately adjacent to a junction on the M60!
Why would that generate another 300 car journeys through Sale?
Wouldn't the time to object be at the beginning when the plans were first announced, not right at the end when construction must be about to begin!

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This would be a great amenity for Sale and should not be dismissed on the basis of distrubing a few ducks and frogs! I bet suddenly there will be a colony of newts moved into sale overnight not forgetting a few bats - the standrad tools of environmental campaigners.
The residents and councillors need to move into the real world!

As for there being a surge in car crime becsuae 300 cars are left unattended what utter rubbish. Cars parked on sales road are much more vulnerable!

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Is it greenbelt or an old landfill site? mentions of buried asbestos doesn't make it sound like green belt to me
Anyway, if the one at Eccles is anything to go by, it'll be a car park for a short while as a planning stepping stone and then built on later no doubt.

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Here we go again! Wonderful idea but somewhere else can have it.

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And I would point out that it isn't a new car park in another wise car park free area, it's right next to another existing car park.

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The collective Manchester councils must have a new slogan:

Vote for us - we'll do the opposite of what you want.

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no suprise. everything thats been involved with the recent metrolink plans up here in oldham have been railroaded through with little or no consultation.

mumps bridge. - demolished before permission was actually granted.

union street line. - forced through with no consultation.

union street main stop with effectively blocks the through traffic. - again no consutation.

manchester street roundabout. - originally a tunnel under this busy junction. now its been changed to a level crossing straight through the roundabout.
one of the worst accident rated roundabouts in the country.

and only now they've created a small consultation period to voice our concerns.

utter rubbish. if its been planned its happening. no one can stop them.

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JayB, That's why Oldham is the dump it is, cos the introverted populace are still in another past century and investment has passed by the town. Actually I blame it on the altitude and the lack of oxygen to the brains of the constant whingers.

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This "beauty spot" has high voltage cables over the area, is bounded by the River mersey the metro link and the M62, please define a "beauty spot"

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