Protesters against Sandleford access road hold Wash Common Easter egg hunt

Organisers hope to show how Warren Road Access would affect community events

MORE than 30 children and parents hopped their way along Warren Road in Wash Common on Sunday for an Easter egg hunt.

The event was held to highlight how a controversial access road on to the planned Sandelford Park development would affect community events in Wash Common.

The planned access on Warren Road, which would allow traffic to access the 2,000-home development from the west, would see an increase in traffic through the area which protesters say would pose an unacceptable safety risk, particularly for schoolchildren walking to nearby Falkland Primary School and Park House School.

Children, dressed in Easter bonnets and as Easter bunnies walked along Warren Road before beginning their hunt along the Sandleford footpath.

Organiser Julie Knapman said: “It was a lovely day and the children had a wonderful time.

“The purpose of our walk was to not only have a great time but to highlight the fact that there are many community events happening in this area, in what is the hub of the Wash Common community.

“To introduce the Warren Road access into the mix will bring with it increased danger to vulnerable road users, in particular children walking to school.”

She added: “We are extremely concerned that this has not been fully appreciated within the current Sandleford planning applications and we will continue to raise awareness.”

The land for the planned access road is owned by Donnington New Homes, which will be developing the site along with Bloor Homes, if the application is approved.

The managing director of Donnington New Homes, Mark Norgate, has previously denied that access road would pose a safety risk, claiming that improvements to the surrounding road network would actually make the area safer.