New appeal made over proposed Silica Lodge children's home in Scunthorpe
Petitioners have proposed a new site for a planned children's home in Scunthorpe.
Proposals for the £1.2 million children's campus at Silica Park Nature Reserve, on Scotter Road South, were approved by councillors in July. But the decision caused unrest among local residents and businesses, who gathered 250 names on a petition against the plans.
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Protestors and members of the public – including Karen Walker, second left, and Chris Turney, second right – outside the Civic Centre, Scunthorpe, before a meeting about the proposed children's home at Silica Lodge Nature Park
Three petitioners were invited to speak at a meeting of a North Lincolnshire Council petitions panel, held behind closed doors. The petition requested the site and the use of the surrounding area remained unchanged.
Among the petitioners was resident Karen Walker, who said: "I would like to suggest an alternative location to the council, the site on Station Road, near the railway footbridge.
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"This is because the site is close to primary and secondary schools and in walking distance of the bus station, the train station, the shops and the cinema. It has a traffic light pedestrian crossing directly outside the site.
"This site has all the advantages the other site does not. I advise the council to seriously consider Station Road because it provides our helpless and exposed children and young adults with a sensible, positive place to live."
Mrs Walker also brought up issues of heavy traffic and deep water close to Silica Park.
Petitioner Chris Turney, who also spoke at the meeting, said: "The panel listened to what we said, but I don't have a good feeling.
"They seem to have a belief that because it was passed by planning, they are just going through the motions. We have identified another potential site on Station Road and are insisting that they consider it."
Petitions panel chairman, councillor Nigel Sherwood, said: "We looked at what is on the petition and have to stick with dealing with that. We can't, as a petitions panel, consider another site because it is not in our remit.
"Our remit is to listen to the petition, which focuses on a request that the Silica Park Nature Reserve site remains unchanged.
"We want to speak to the relevant departments so that the petition panel can get the relevant answers for the petitioners."
PRESS AND PUBLIC BARRED FROM TALKS - SEE RELATED ARTICLE
Comments
by TrueLogic
Friday, October 26 2012, 3:20PM
“Who are the other people in the photo attached to the article?
I believe at least two of them do not live in Scunthorpe but on the other side of the Trent!
I agree with the people who suggest that there are other sites available in town.”
by HeavenlyManna
Friday, October 26 2012, 2:18PM
“Could not agree more. You could not make this up how ever had you tried! But nothing surprises me any more. At least, here in Scunthorpe!! ;-)
Better still, is the devious, dimwitted ineptitude of certain of Scunthorpe's sore loser, desperate & opportunist labourites (will a small 'l') who have jumped on the bandwagon by concocting another typically misleading political stunt!
AND by their further embarrassing, futile effort at Tory bashing!!
http://tinyurl.com/d35crz7”
by Truth11
Friday, October 26 2012, 12:20PM
“AnonTaxPayer - quite right and we should also be asking why 250 people signed a petition that complains of safety issues with the current site and then suggests a railway line as a safer option. I'm not sure I'd take their complaints that seriously to be honest.
For those who do disagree with the siting of the home coming up with crackpot alternatives that counter their very own argument hardly seems helpful. Nor does that of others who complain that "these people in power don't represent the people". That is the nature of democracy sometimes that the politicians make decisions that people don't like. While this may well be a poor location and equally poor decision those who oppose it need to be logical in their arguments and not resort to populism (although I would suggest that majority of people are indifferent to the building in any case - like myself) and cries of "despotism and arrogance". Would YOU change your mind if people said this about you? Or would you dig your heels in?”
by AnonTaxPayer
Friday, October 26 2012, 11:29AM
“The question we should be asking is: Who is the bright spark/s that brought up Silica Lodge as the best place? What is sensible about using nature reserve land when there are plenty of other sites in Scunthorpe?
I wonder how we end up employing such dunderhads in the council offices; do they think that the best way of housing children is as far away from public facilities as is possible?”
by JohnJohn2011
Friday, October 26 2012, 9:47AM
“Truth11 & Mozart
Yeh some will agree with your comments, vested interests are always in play. Strange why they close a children's home on the Ridings estate only some years later want to build a brand new one just down the road on land with various wild life similar to a micro wild life area. Why do they have to build new? Why is it not possible to use or part use the old secondary school buildings that used to be South Leys as all the infrastructure is in place?”
by Truth11
Thursday, October 25 2012, 7:34PM
“"Mrs Walker also brought up issues of heavy traffic and deep water close to Silica Park"
Presumably thinking that these would be a danger to the children? But the new proposal was to put the home right next to a main railway line instead. Great logic. You couldn't make it up!!! Fear for the safety of the children and then suggest that they play next to the railway with the next breath.
To be honest if the home is built there I don't envisage hundreds of kids hurling themselves in the pond like suicidal lemmings in any case.”
by Mozart
Thursday, October 25 2012, 12:58PM
“The ones objecting will be the halfwits on Lakeside Drive, Silica Crescent and The Dell who because they have a bit more money than the rest of we peasants think such a project will lower their property values to the level of their brains (below their waistlines!)”