Rainshore House Proposal - Planning Meeting Nov 2024

A Planning Application for the Development of Rainshore House into a SEND School was submitted to Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council in November 2024 24/00568FUL. The Entrance to the Property is directly opposite the Bridleway going up Overtown Lane. We consequently sent in the following submission objecting to the proposal.

We are contacting you with serious concerns about this application, and our objection to it.

Overtown Lane is an important equestrian link from Bamford through Norden to Rooley Moor and Ashworth. This is via the tarmac lane to the bridleway which goes to the tip and the moors. It is a well used route by Equestrians.

Following the new properties being built on the Rainshore Mill  land, the lane can be quite difficult to use safely, not helped by the narrowing of the Lane to put footpaths down each side. Public Rights of Way are designated as such to allow vulnerable road users  safe off road routes in safety. These users are Horse Riders, Cyclists and Pedestrians in that order of priority on a Bridleway. 

It is already impossible for a car to pass a horse giving it the 2 meter clearance recommended. 

More traffic using this Lane on a daily basis is an accident in the making. 

As this application is for a special needs school, drivers are quite likely to be in a rush to drop children off, or pick them up and as such they tend to have no patience for other road users.

For these reasons we are objecting to the plans.

Kind Regards

Pat Tough

Chair of NBH Bridleways Association

We attended the Planning Meeting on 6th Nov at Number One Riverside where the application was rejected.

The Applicant has subsequently applied to the Secretary of State to endeavour getting the application accepted.

We have made the following two submission to the Planning Inspectorate

 Submission 1 -
Re RMBC Planning Application 24/00568/ FUL

We are against the appeal proposals and fully support the council's decision to refuse this planning application.  

We have very serious concerns about the planning application to build a SEN school at the above property. 

 Overtown Lane is the only access route to the property and is an important equestrian link from Bamford through Norden to Rooley Moor and Ashworth. This is via a tarmac lane, to the Bridleway which goes to the moors. It is a well-used route by equestrians, pedestrians and cyclists. 

 After the new properties were built at the top of the lane the track became increasingly busy with motorised vehicles. The lane is extremely narrow, and in fact it is impossible for a car (and larger vehicles are even worse) to pass a ridden horse giving the 2m clearance recommended in the Highway Code (the video here shows the road and the fact a car had to reverse to allow the horse to pass).

 It is made more dangerous for a stretch, by a narrow footpath being put down each side, narrowing the lane even further. This makes the lane difficult to used safely by pedestrians, cyclists and horses. Fortunately, the residents are aware of the large use of this lane by Horses, cyclists and pedestrians and drive very carefully. 

 Directly opposite Rainshore House is where the Bridleway goes up to the moors and as a Public Right Of Way (PROW) surely the legitimate users of it (Horses, Cyclists and Pedestrians) should be able to get to it safely.

 These PROWs were designated as such to allow vulnerable road users safe off road routes, for exercise and pleasure. If planning permission was successful access to this PROW would be dangerous. 

 The plan is to have a large number of minibuses to deliver and collect the children to and from school. On top of this will be the large number of staff and helpers, and delivery vans which will be driving up there. This will create a huge increase in traffic, making this lane extremely dangerous to all PROW users.

 These drivers will all be in a rush to get to and from their destination and will in all probability not be considerate to other vulnerable users of the lane. 

We acknowledge that SEN schools are needed, but surely the mental and physical health of the legal users of the PROW should also be considered. 

Kind Regards

Pat Tough

Chair of NBH Bridleways Association

Submission 2 -

Re RMBC Planning Application 24/00568/ FUL

 Thank you for your prompt email received today regarding our submission last night.

 Whilst we are disappointed that the video on YouTube will not be viewed by the Inspector, as it provides a valuable insight to the issues already faced to access the PROW, the attached photos provide screen shots of the important aspects of the video which clearly shows the difficulties in passing cars along the narrow single track part of the lane. In addition, they show how the entrance to Rainshore House is directly opposite the PROW so taxis and mini buses turning into and out of Rainshore House would greatly increase the danger PROW users experience currently.

This submission is in addition to the one we already have made on 5/3/25 at 19:47.

Kind Regards

Pat Tough

Chair of NBH Bridleways Association