¶ Friends of Cocker Lane: Protecting Our Community's Green Spaces
¶ The Community Made us proud to be part of it last night.
The planning committee meeting to adjudicate on one of those developments was held at 6pm Thursday 24 April 2025 in the Sir Tom Finney Room, Lancashire Football Association, Thurston Road, Leyland, PR25 2LF. It was incredibly important that the committee members could see the strength of feeling in the local community against this proposal.
The residents came out in force last night, thankyou to you all, although i am relatively new to the area myself, i myself am incredibly proud to be part of this community, and to witness first hand the communities response. Your voice last night was very important, and you told very clearly to Marco De Pol and the Beneficiaries of the Pension Trust managed by BW Sipp, especially Mrs Redshaw, and we will repeat here again unless she did not receive the message last night, that “No we don't want our lane vandalised by this plan.” We should all be incredibly proud that we successfully staved of the approval decision last night and we will continue to fight against this contentious and unsafe plan whilst the councilors arrange a site visit to the site during the schools pick-up or drop-off time, to really experience the issues that we all know will be exacerbated by the now declared up to 33 new homes on the site and the increased traffic of 70-80 cars along this already busy access route.
If you were not there, please view the Youtube video of this planning meeting here
You Made a Difference last night, lets keep this up, please keep informed on this site, and make sure that we keep an eye out for when this proposal will go again to the committee for round 2.
¶ Why Oppose?
Our Concerns:
- Increased Traffic and Reduced Safety: The proposed road widening will bring more cars and estimated 45 - 50 vehicles, risking the safety of our schoolchildren and pedestrians that use the lane on a daily basis for commuting. The site has already been discounted as viable in the Central Lancashire Local Plan (CLLP) due to access concerns as the carriageway and required footpath cannot be widened to Central Lancashire's minimum highway specifications and as a result Cocker Lane is already at capacity.
- Our cherished lane will be changed from its current state of peaceful, country-like tranquility into a busier thoroughfare, significantly altering its unique character which invites leisurely strolls and serves as a pedestrian link to local amenities, the lane's unique charm and communal value are at risk of being overshadowed by increased activity and noise
- Wildlife at Risk: Despite the produced ecological reports in the plan, we know our area is a haven for bats, owls newts and other wildlife, This development endangers the diverse ecosystem that exists and we all enjoy today.
- Drainage Dilemmas: The plan overlooks critical drainage issues and how that will be tackled, with our clay-rich subsoil and the essential role the topsoil plays plays in natural water absorption.
Hear from Our Community: 'I have raised an objection this morning due to safety issues and concerns for the unsuitability of the road I mentioned that it is used by many children returning from school on the other side of the bypass and safety already concerns. I walk my dogs I have 2, and I am regularly forced into the hedges by vehicles at the moment' – Valerie, local resident."
Voice your Objection: Please see the video uploaded stating his objections on our new dedicated YouTube channel. thanks to Ramin, Local Resident and Friend of Cocker Lane, If anybody else would also like to do the same please email your video to [email protected] and we will upload to the channel.
¶ How to Help
Your Action Can Make a Difference: Objecting to the planning application is straightforward but powerful. Here’s how you can help:
- Add your objection: First and foremost add your comment and objection to the planning proposal , if you are unsure of how to word your objection please see South Ribble Council's guide
- Sign our petition: Sign the petition here
- Communicate with Our Local Council: We encourage you to utilise the provided templates to articulate your concerns effectively. For your convenience, a selection of templates is available on the left-hand side, each tailored to address specific issues relating to Access, Ecological, and Character impacts on Cocker Lane. To ensure diversity in the submissions received by the South Ribble Council Planning Office, we recommend selecting the templates at random. Your contribution is invaluable—every letter makes a difference.
- Spread the Word: Share information with neighbours and friends. The more voices, the stronger our case. Use social media and use the hashtag #SaveCockerLane to raise awareness and gather more support.
- Join Us: From organizing events to digital advocacy, your skills are invaluable. click here to join. Once joined you can comment on these pages and pass along information
To see the proposal in full please refer to the useful links page
You can communicate with the planning department to send objections using the contents of the templates via [email protected] or you can use the address below:
The Planning Department,
South Ribble Borough Council,
Civic Centre,
West Paddock,
Leyland.
PR25 1DH¶ Latest Updates
Stay Informed:
25th April 2025 - The residents came out in force last night, thankyou to you all, although i am relatively new to the area myself, i myself am incredibly proud to be part of this community, and to witness first hand the communities response. Your voice last night was very important, and you told very clearly to Marco De Pol and the Beneficiaries of the Pension Trust managed by BW Sipp, especially Ms Redfern, and we will repeat here again unless she did not receive the message last night, that “No we don't want our lane vandalised by this plan.” We should all be incredibly proud that we successfully staved of the approval decision last night and we will continue to fight against this contentious and unsafe plan whilst the councilors arrange a site visit to the site during the schools pick-up or drop-off time, to really experience the issues that we all know will be exacerbated by the now declared up to 33 new homes on the site and the increased traffic of 70-80 cars along this already busy access route.
18th April 2025 - Planning meeting to go ahead on Thursday the 24th April 2025 at 6PM, we need you to give a show of force on that day at the Planning meeting to show your objection. the meeting is at Sir Tom Finney Room, Lancashire Football Association, Thurston Road, Leyland, PR25 2LF
20th November 2024 - Planning Meeting has still not been confirmed, we are still monitoring for inclusion in the December planning meeting, we will confirm as soon as we know the exact date
10th June 2024 - Planning Meeting has been cancelled, the application will now be heard on either the 18th July or the 12th September, we will confirm as soon as we know the exact date
16th May 2024 - Planning Meeting has been brought forward, this is now being held on the 13th June 2024 at 6PM. it is being held at the council offices at the civic Center in Leyland, we would like as many people as possible to attend
14th May 2024 - Its been a busy few months since consultation, we have been working behind the scenes and attending a number of meetings with local councilors on the best approach to stating our objection during the planning meeting which is likely to be the 26th June 2024 at 6pm at the Civic Center in Leyland PR25 1DH, we are hoping as many of you as possible will be able to attend to show your support for maintaining the road in its current state without the impact to road safety and wildlife and keeping its semi rural charm.
14th March 2024 - The consultation date has passed and we have to thank everybody for submitting their planning objections via letter and on the portal, The next stage is for the friends of cocker lane to invite the planning board down to see the lane, and attend the planning meeting and bring the message from our community direct to the Planning board.
13th March 2024 - Lancashire County Council Highways department have responded to the Highways consultation with the same concerns we have around access constraints and safety. so a minor victory in the battle, but the war is far from won.
9th March 2024 - We have created the Friends of Cocker Lane YouTube Channel to voice our objections and our concerns
6th March 2024 - We are making excellent progress with the change.org petition with well over 100 signers. however this alone will not prevent this application being approved. please also ensure your objections are lodged before the 14th March with the planning department.
4th March 2024 - We held the first community meeting yesterday, it was a very good turnout, lots more people than were expected, Thankyou to Iain for hosting the meeting and thanks to all who attended, also a special mention to our Ward Councillors Michael and Mary Green who took the time on a Sunday evening to listen to our concerns. There was good advice from Michael on what we need to target for the best chance of success in this initial phase of planning, and that is very much focused around access issues, and the inability to widen the highway to the minimum Lancashire country Council specifications for road dimension & footpath dimensions. and additionally the change of character of the road if planning application was successful.
3rd March 2024 - First community meeting held to discuss our objections and focus our response.
1st March 2024 - A Lancashire Post article has been published highlighting this site and to help highlight the issues that will affect all local residents, not just those direct neighbours to the proposed development.