SAIGHTON CAMP LIAISON GROUP
3rd March 2011 – Huntington Primary School
Attendees:
Cllr Mark Williams
Charles Johnson
Victoria Walker
Ann Treloar
Ian Hutchins
John Ackerley
Frances Bonner
Alan Bonner
Carolyn Walker
Chair (ward councillor)
CEG
Beattie Communications
Local resident
Vicar
Local resident
Local resident
Local resident
Local resident
Apologies:
Gareth Owen
Taylor Woodrow
1. Management and temporary uses
 No further leases or licenses have been granted for temporary uses on
the site.
 CJ confirmed the only temporary use on site now was the Driving School
Agency. The softball company and police dogs training has now finished.
2. Works on site
 The demolition works are underway and the demolition company, Sirius, has
been on site now for 6 weeks.
 They are demolishing the larger buildings (the hospital breeze block
buildings) in the middle of the site, then the wooden H-shaped blocks.
 They are taking these buildings down to slab (so the foundations and
substructures are left in place) ultimately the residential developer will deal
with these.
 The demolition contract is for 25-weeks of work so should be complete by the
end of June.
 CJ confirmed there is some asbestos in some of the smaller buildings.. This
has been dealt with correctly and in accordance with health & safety
legislation.
3. Outline Planning Permission
 CEG is working with the council to discharge some of the conditions on the
recent planning approval for commercial space and 375 homes.
 The landscaping and highway conditions have been discharged with the
majority of the others being discharged by the residential developer
 CEG is in discussions with one party and is close to concluding negotiations
and should be able to announce who will develop the proposed houses at the
next meeting.
 The timetable for developing will then be in this developer’s hands, they could
submit a reserved matters (detailed) application as soon as the decision is
taken if they choose to do so.
 They have already drawn a layout but would probably take a few months to
complete their detailed work and a further 3 - 4 months to resolve with the
council.
 A start on site could therefore be 6 - 8 months away, towards the end of the
year. Albeit bad weather could delay the start and builders do not work over
Christmas.
 A reserved matters application concludes all of the detail (e.g. highways,
landscaping, building design/layout/materials etc..)
 A whole new drainage system will be going in (separate foul/surface water)
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There will probably be consultation over the reserved matters and as with
Taylor Woodrow we will invite the developer to attend the liaison group
meeting.
CJ confirmed the site would be sold to one developer and they will be a big
national housebuilder.
It was highlighted that 20 per cent of the new properties will be affordable
homes
It was asked if the developer could put a memorial on the site (1938) for those
who died on the site in the war. Perhaps at the entrance, recognising the
contribution made by the people who moved through the camp. It was
suggested the memorial could say ‘In recognition of those who came through
Saighton Camp during World War II’ There is a garden on the site already
and there is a casket on the village green. MW liaising with British Legion
regarding the correct wording
In terms of the sports ground, this is around 20 acres of green belt which
CEG owns. As part of the public open space provision, the company will level
this site and put a football pitch here.
In terms of the drainage there are still issues in Huntington – it was agreed
that CEG’s hydrologist would look into the sewer cleaning with Welsh Water.
o ACTION POINT: VW to invite new developer to future liaison group
meeting.
o ACTION POINT: MW liaising with British Legion regarding wording for
a memorial and CJ to liaise with developer regarding memorial
4. Transport improvements
 Boughton Heath Roundabout:
o The designs have been submitted – CJ showed the group the designs
and the detail was discussed in terms of where the new lanes/traffic
lights will go
o The local Authority is expected to come back tomorrow with minor
amends
o A S278 agreement will then be entered into (this is a legal agreement)
o These were tendered a month ago – bids will be back next week
o Start date for the full works is expected to be 9th May 2011 and it will
be a 27-week programme
o Leading up to the 9th May we will put advertisements in the paper and
temporary matrix signs will go up. These will try to encourage people
to choose alternative routes avoiding the area in order to minimise
inconvenience.
o Contact number for the Highways Agency will also go on these
o A query was raised regarding safety at the roundabout and CJ
confirmed that the traffic lights would also incorporate pedestrian
crossing so that it would be safer for cars as well as pedestrians.
o The contractors have to decide how to divert the traffic
o The roundabout will have a run off area for unusual vehicles – e.g.
heavy loads which use the roundabout.
o MW queried why the roundabout was being changed and CJ
explained that the plans for the roundabout were shown at the public
consultation events for the scheme and discussed by the planning
inspector. The roundabout changes are required as part of the
planning approval for the scheme and they are designed to create
capacity on the roads as well as to improve safety
o Boughton Heath roundabout is a blackspot that doesn’t function
correctly. Once improved, traffic will flow more freely and the capacity
created allows the 375 homers to be built at Saighton Camp.
o It was queried why the trees couldn’t be saved. CJ explained that
unfortunately the new lanes for the roundabout have to go through this
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area so it isn’t possible. These new lanes enable traffic lights to be
installed which will stop people edging out and using lanes incorrectly.
CJ explained that the contractors have a balancing act between
working weekends and evenings to reduce the length of time the
works take to deliver. Local Authority will dictate what working hours
are permitted in the area. MW suggested CEG liaise with him if need
any assistance as the group would like to see longer hours worked to
minimise the length of time the roundabout takes to deliver.
A member of the group requested that we liaise with Bishop’s High
School as buses come through this area and the school would be
disrupted if these run late. CEG said it would feed this information to
the contractors. It was suggested the same happened regarding the
Law College and Christleton High School
ACTION POINT – CJ to bring the contractor’s detailed designs to the
next meeting if possible. CJ/VW to highlight Bishops High School
issues to contractor.
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Chester Road and Caldy Valley Road
o A combined (wider) footpath and cycleway will go in
o The grass verge will stay and will be wider than originally agreed so
that we don’t lose any of the trees in this verge
o Providing the planning officer confirms these as minor amends this will
go in
o The majority of the cyclists go to the district centre i.e. Sainsburys
o On Chester Road it stops at the brook
o Chester Road is going down to 30 mph limit. Talking about perception
road narrowing (painted island in the centre) to help slow traffic here
and make it safer for cyclists using road on this section
o It was queried if it would have symbols painted on cycleway –
separating cycle and footpath. CJ to check and confirm
o CJ confirmed cyclists can go in both directions on this new path
o Normal footpaths are 1.8m wide and this duel use path will be
widened to 2.5m (would have been 3m but residents were keen to
keep the trees on the footpath as well)
o The cyclepath work is expected to commence at some time between
9th May and 11th November. If it is before the next meeting we will
write and let the liaison group know
o A new toucan crossing is going in opposite Butterbache Road
 ACTION POINT – CJ to check how cycle/footpath signs will
work and distinguish which users can use each section.
 ACTION POINT – if cycleways happen before the next
meeting we need to write to the action group to confirm.
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It was queried where the A55 access currently was. CJ explained that the
council hasn’t abandoned it but the Highways Agency has said it definitely
doesn’t want another access point. Mike Jones met the HA and the former
MP and there were many other meetings with CEG to try to drive this forward
but the HA just will not give approval for the link.
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The top of Sandy Lane gyratory was highlighted as another problem area. CJ
explained that there weren’t any proposals the improve this. The buildings are
too close to the roundabout so improvements are not possible. In terms of the
traffic generated by development on Saighton Camp, studies have shown that
very few vehicles actually use the gyratory as the majority travel down the
A55 towards Wrexham and the NW.
ACTION POINT – CJ to bring these figures to next meeting.
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5. Date of next meeting
 It was agreed that the next meeting would take place at 6.30pm at Huntington
Primary School on 16th June 2011.