Pet crematorium and new housing plans spark outrage
Plus: Smedley Hydro closure latest
Hello and welcome to the 10th edition of The Southport Lead. This mid-week edition looks at the village of Banks where two proposed developments have caused uproar among residents.
One would see a pet crematorium in use in the heart of the village, another would see one of its oldest buildings knocked down to make way for a development of 20 homes. With no other amenities included in that plan, concerns have once again been raised over the lack of facilities in a village which is one of many experiencing a shift from rural to urban.
Also in today’s newsletter is a look at plans which could see the government end its use of Hydro Smedley and the latest headlines from the past few days.
Villagers show anger towards “inappropriate” development plans
Residents are preparing for battle against two potential developments hundreds of yards apart.
Villagers in Banks are up in arms over plans which would potentially see a pet crematorium open next to homes and near a popular cafe bar. At the same time, dozens of objections and a petition with more than 1,000 signatures have greeted proposals to build houses, bungalows and apartments just down the road.
The two development sites are each a short distance either side of a junction home to St Stephen’s church and the Co-op convenience store which replaced the New Fleetwood pub in 2022.
If approved, a pet crematorium would be created inside an empty building on Ralph’s Wife’s Lane which was last used as a funeral directors. Few details are given about how frequently the facility would be used or what animals would be brought here if the plans go ahead.
However, the model of incinerator detailed in the application document is described as being “suitable for disposing of game, deer, poultry, sheep and the largest breeds of domestic animals with dual function as a pet cremation system”.
With the site located so close to houses and backing on to newly developed outdoor seating area of Ralph’s Wife’s coffee shop and bar, the suggestion has caused great unhappiness among those living nearby.
One neighbour told The Southport Lead: “It’s completely inappropriate. Would you want that next to where you live? Imagine the kiddies playing outside and seeing the smoke. Or walking past as the pets are being delivered. It’s disgusting.”
A series of objections sent to West Lancashire Borough Council - the authority whose planning committee will decide the application - express similar levels of outrage.
While the application’s documents suggest the odours will be controlled, those who may end up living nearby are unconvinced. One objector argues that “Banks will be renamed the smelly village”, while multiple argue it is “common sense” that the plan should be rejected.
In her objection, Jennifer Haydon writes: “I don't want to be breathing in dead animals sitting in my garden with my children absolute stupid idea should not be located in the middle of a residential village.”
John Howard is similarly blunt in his submission: “This must be the stupidest thing I've heard for a long time, crematoriums are always located in the country and not in the centre of a residential area. This should apply to whatever is being cremated humans or animals, let common sense prevail.”
While the strength of anger against that proposal is clear to see, it is the number of opponents against the second possible development which catches the eye. In the 2021 census, Banks had 4,430 residents - the number of people signing a petition against the Fleetwood Farm redevelopment is more than a quarter of that.
The company behind the application is Tawd Valley Developments (TVD) - a company wholly owned by West Lancashire Borough Council and whose purpose is both to generate income for the local authority and build the types of housing needed in its communities. In this case, it is facing a significant backlash.
As one resident told The Southport Lead: “There’s all these houses going up but you can’t just have houses. We don’t have enough shops - why can’t they put businesses there?
“What about doctors surgeries? It’s already too hard to get an appointment.”
If approved, a vacant and overgrown site will have eight outbuildings demolished to make way for the collection of eight houses, four bungalows and eight “cottage style apartments”. In a report submitted with the application, TVD states “we believe the proposal is not only complimentary but also provides its own character and charm”.
The vacant site was bought by the council last month and through work with Lancashire County Council it hopes to have the scheme part-funded by Homes England to provide affordable housing for social rent. TVD plans to have all the homes made available for affordable rent, with eight homes described as being “suitable for the elderly in the form of ground floor apartments and bungalows”.
It argues that redeveloping the brownfield site in this way would make “best use of the available land resource” and “help to improve the supply of affordable homes in the local area and provide a better standard of accommodation for its residents”.
In order to reach that point though, it must convince the council’s planning committee - which is independent of the development firm - to allow the development to go ahead. Whenever that committee meeting goes ahead, fierce opposition is expected from the public.
Among the dozens of objections registered, frequent themes appear through the vast majority. One if concerns over extra traffic adding to problems already being felt but the most common is the lack of amenities in the village.
As Amy Evans writes in her submission: “The local area does not have enough doctors, shops, or amenities to support 20 additional dwellings. The increased traffic would worsen congestion and pose safety risks.
“This land could be put to better use for community-focused projects or green spaces to benefit residents. Please reconsider this development”
Smedley Hydro future hangs in balance
The Government says it will keep Smedley Hydro open until at least 2030 with a full consultation still to take place on closure proposals.
The building, on Trafalgar Road, is nearly 200 years old and has been used for governmental purposes since World War II. Among those working there are employees within the General Register Office, HM Passport Office, the Home Office, and NHS Digital.
Its future is under threat by plans which would see staff moved out of the building but little progress appears to have been made since the potential closure was made public last year. Last September, Southport MP Patrick Hurley led calls for the decision to be reversed as he asked the Government Property Agency to “explore all possible options to keep the Smedley Hydro site open and retain these vital jobs within Southport”.
The building was first used as boys’ school “Birkdale College”, before John Smedley of the Smedley Hydropathic Company bought it in 1876 to open up a spa and hotel. At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the government took over management of the building, for registration of the population of England and Wales.
In the 1990s further aspects of civil registration were moved to the site which now acts as the headquarters for civil registration in England and Wales.
While that usage remains under threat, the Government says the plans were devised before the last General Election and that a consultation will be held before any decision is made.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson told The Southport Lead: “A decision was taken under the previous government to assess long-term options for the site as part of cost-effective management of the government estate.
"No changes would take place until 2030 at the earliest. An extensive consultation will take place with affected staff ahead of any change.”
News in headlines
New look proposed for Southport Hospital A&E to improve patient care and add more urgent care treatment areas (Stand Up For Southport)
Drone footage shows 'forgotten Ainsdale landmark' left abandoned for years (Liverpool Echo)
Wayfarers Arcade launches Creative Village strategy to attract more tenants and host exciting new events (Stand Up For Southport)
Postman who 'hospitalised' partner could be out of prison by Christmas (Liverpool Echo)
Thanks for reading this mid-week edition of The Southport Lead, I’ll be back in your inbox on Sunday morning. In the meantime if there’s anything you think I should be looking into then drop me a line southport@thelead.uk
Have a great rest of the week and if you’re in a position to support this newsletter then please consider a paid subscription.
Jamie & The Southport Lead team