I CAN sympathise with the concerns of Sharples residents about the proposed three-storey apartment blocks at Blackburn Road/Stoneyhurst Avenue and the likely effect on an already congested Blackburn Road.

This type of development has been permitted at a number of locations on Chorley New Road between its junctions with Beaumont Road and De Havilland Way (Beehive roundabout). Large, Victorian houses have been replaced by blocks of apartments, which has led to an increase in traffic movements on both the extremely busy Chorley New Road and De Havilland Way.

That increase has, however, been dwarfed by the volume of traffic feeding on to those roads from --

1. The massive sports, shopping, business and entertainment complex at Middlebrook (still expanding).

2. The associated Meadows residential area (also still expanding).

3. Recently constructed office blocks at Parklands (more planned).

Current use of the former BAe buildings as a large-scale warehousing operation.

Developments in the pipeline which will, without doubt, make matters worse, include --

The new hotel at the Beehive roundabout, which will open very soon, with a capacity of 60 bedrooms.

The extremely important planning application (now under consideration) for 88 new homes, some six acres of light industrial warehousing units, and various other proposals. Large areas of Green Belt and the existing sports fields on the former BAe site would be affected.

The very recent planning application for 65 new houses at Fall Birch Road with its sole access on to (of course) Chorley New Road.

Several quarts have already been poured into the Lostock pint pot. Will Bolton Council tell us how many more to expect?

Jack Howard

Chorley New Road

Lostock

Bolton