Road plans cause upset

RESIDENTS in Marchfield are pushing back against plans to turn a quiet street into a main road.

Story Homes have submitted plans to expand the development in Dumfries and build 108 new homes and 298 car parking spaces on a 5.46 hectare plot, with access via Devorgilla Drive.

But the plans have irked nearby residents who are worried about the level of traffic coming and going in their estate if it goes ahead.

Julie Thwaites moved to Marchfield six years ago with her young family and is concerned. She said: “It’s taking what right now is a relatively quiet road and turning it into a main road, and that road is not suitable, especially because it goes by the park.

“Part of the reason we bought here was because it was like a cul-de-sac and we could let the kids go out and play with the park nearby and it was all going to be safe.

“When we bought our house we thought it was going to be our forever home, thinking it will be the house the kids grow up in and we put a lot of thought into it.

“We always knew there was a chance they would expand the estate, but we never thought for a minute we’d end up next to a main road again.”

Similar plans were previously withdrawn by Story Homes after similar access concerns were raised, but fellow residents Stephen Jackson and Alice Rowan feel like their worries continue to fall on deaf ears. Stephen said: “Nobody is against the houses going ahead, but it seems that they’ve not taken anything we’ve said into consideration in these plans. It’s pretty much the same plans that they had a couple of years ago.”

Alice added: “When you think about the two to three years it’s going to take them to build the estate, this is going to be the main route for all of the HGVs, cranes, suppliers and all the building materials that will be going past that park and our houses on this narrowing road.

“And they’ve [Story Homes] said it themselves on their planning application, that long vehicles will potentially have to mount the pavement, and it’s just not safe.

“Every other addition to Summerpark and Marchfield has two points of entry, so why not this one?”

In response, a spokesperson from Story Homes said: “As a responsible housebuilder, safety is our highest priority on all our developments. “The proposed access via Devorgilla Drive is a public road, adopted and maintained by the local highway authority, and it is the only practical access point for this site.

“We have been part of the Summerpark community for 17 years and have extensive experience with working in this area. All appropriate health and safety protocols will be strictly followed by our site team and subcontractors throughout the construction process.

“We continue to work closely with local residents and authorities to ensure that the development is delivered responsibly, with careful consideration for traffic, pedestrian safety and accessibility.”