Plans for new roundabout and 700 homes in Buxton slammed by residents

The county council proposes to build a four-arm roundabout allowing access to the new homes as well as Tongue Lane Industrial Estate - which is set to be expanded by five acres as part of the scheme.

It is hoped the 40-metre roundabout - at a cost of £3 million - would ease tailbacks along Fairfield Road and past the golf course.

Planning documents show 330 homes have historically been approved at Waterswallows Farm in Fairfield while the council says up to 139 houses could be built on fields west of Tongue Lane.

There is another site earmarked for 252 housing at Hogshaw west of the A6.

HGVs currently turn off the A6 down narrow residential roads to get to the Tongue Lane industrial estate.

The council says this ‘has numerous health and safety implications for the local residents and has a negative impact on local noise levels and local air quality’.

However after hearing news of the plan residents left over 100 comments about it on our Facebook page - with some calling it ‘ridiculous’ and ‘stupid’.

Chris Hallam wrote: “There is no point building houses unless the infrastructure (hospitals, doctors surgeries, banks, schools, public transport) and jobs are available with excess capacity first.

“Buxton lacks employment and infrastructure so any further house building will just exacerbate the current problems!”

While Pauline Mcgowan wrote: “This will not ease congestion it will create more because of the amount of people that will be housed up there.

“Oh & by the way when will they be building more schools & how will we ever get an appointment at the doctors or dentist? Joke !!!!!!!!”

Speaking about dire problems faced by emergency services in the town Mick Dewsbury wrote: “I just can’t believe that the town still has just one access from Fairfield to the town centre.

“If you need an ambulance in Fairfield, it might only be quarter of a mile away in Buxton, but if Fairfield Road is blocked it may as well be forty miles away.”

Others who reacted to the news said the roundabout would do nothing to reduce traffic issues - that the only way to take pressure off the busy road was to build a bypass.

John Hudghton wrote: “DCC you are out of your minds, roundabout or not the congestion is already intolerable. It would only be ok if there were a Dove Holes - Fairfield - Buxton by pass.”

Others said the new homes would mean upwards of 1,000 new cars on roads in the area.

Barry Rudd said “700 houses can be 1400 cars. Ok some have one but two teenage children can mean four cars per house!”

Reacting to the Buxton Advertiser Facebook post about the news on Friday Yvonne Eyre Chalker commented: “Fantastic reaction. The article has only been up 37 minutes. The townsfolk say NO.”