Residents on a “safe and quiet” street in Salford are worried they’ll face fights over parking spaces once new homes are built in the area. People living on Regatta Street and nearby Langley Road told Salford council’s planning panel last month that they already don’t have enough space for their cars, and that they need to use the land at Regatta Street for parking. Homes on Langley Road are restricted by double yellow lines, and neighbours say the new houses will create “fights” for parking spots. Despite the concerns, the planning application from J2 Corporation was approved by the council in April. It aims to build 50 new ‘family style’ properties of three and four-bedrooms on the banks of the River Irwell, on land which is currently ‘vacant.’ Javed Hussain, the founder and CEO of the development company, told the council that he has met with most residents on the street to discuss their concerns. The plan includes creating more than 60 on-street parking spaces for the new residents to make use of. A planning document stated that any more parking spaces in the estate would ‘discourage the use of more sustainable modes of transport’ and have ‘an unacceptable impact on the street.’ But neighbours have told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that they’re not happy with the plans. Ruth Atherton is recovering from cancer and is a resident on Langley Road where she’s lived for most of her life. She’s worried the new homes and cars due to come to the area will make it harder for her daughter and nurses to visit her, and make it difficult for people to park and go to the local cafe. She said: “I’ve lived here 40 years and I’m not happy about it. People going to the cafe park there, people on this street park there, all that will be gone when the new houses come. “I’ve been told I won’t get a parking space, but I need it for when my daughter comes to look after me. Nurses come to see me but there’s already nowhere for them to park sometimes” Jake Canale is another Langley Road resident. The 32-year-old plumber enjoys the peaceful character of the area, and said he has never had any issues while living there – but he’s worried new homes and people could attract burglars or thieves to the area. He said: “Parking is a nightmare, but it’s really safe and quiet around here. It might cause disturbance to the other people who live here. People are upset it could leave them with nowhere to park. “I think new houses might attract unwanted attention which is my worry. Also, this is a busy road so it could cause problems with that. The traffic can be bad here, it’s going to be ten times worse when that’s there.” Bob Jenkins is an 84-year-old who lives on Regatta Street, and he’s also not happy about the new homes. He said: “I’m bad at walking, I use a stick. I’ll have to move my car further away, how am I supposed to use it when the new houses are here?” J2 Corporation was contacted for comment but has not responded. Although neighbours said they were worried about the impact of extra traffic, a travel plan submitted as part of the application stated that it will aim to ‘reduce the potential traffic impacts’ by encouraging walking, cycling, and other forms of sustainable travel. It also aims to reduce the need for single-occupancy car travel. A crime prevention plan was also included in the application.
