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Residents in giant-killing planning victory

Conrad Astley
13/ 1/2003

CAMPAIGNERS in Boothstown are starting the new year on a high after winning their David vs Goliath battle against landowners Peel Holdings.

Peel Investments, an arm of the company which owns the Trafford Centre and which plans to create a racecourse near the village, wanted to build houses on derelict land next to St Andrew's Primary School off Vicars Hall Lane.

But now residents have won their fight against the proposal and want to set a new library up there.

Councillors turned down the company's application last year after planning officers said, although the area was allocated for housing in the city's unitary development plan, that particular site had been earmarked for community use since 1980. The company, which owns the land, appealed against the decision.

However, residents who got together to fight the appeal were told last month they had been successful.

It is the second time residents have won an appeal against the decision, but last time they were unable to get council funding to do anything with the site, and Peel argued the land should not be released as it has lain derelict for years.

Members of the Worsley and Boothstown Community Committee now want to use Lottery funding to set up a library on the 0.28 hectare piece of land. They say Salford City Council's annual library plan, which went to government last year, stated the village needed a bigger library for the size of its population.

The current library is in one room of the village's community centre and moving it would mean more could be done at the centre.

Local councillor Karen Garrido, who instigated the appeal said: "It's about time Peel released this and said enough's enough. This is a great piece of news and I'm not surprised I didn't get a Christmas card from Peel this year."

Committee chairman Beryl Howard added: "We were very surprised to win this as we don't usually win things against Peel."

Peel Holdings' spokesman Philip Rothwell said: "We're considering our position in regard to this piece of land."