Wigan permits work hub, homes

Also approved was Eden Asset Management’s 63,000 sq ft Hindley Green Business Park extension.

Wigan Council approved the business park’s partial redevelopment, as well as the creation of 26 homes and a work hub for J Murphy and Sons on its existing base off Wigan Road, at its planning committee meeting on Tuesday.

Both decisions were made in line with officer recommendations.

Wigan Road

Application number: A/22/94882/MAJOR

Global infrastructure specialist J Murphy and Sons can now progress with its plans to redevelop its existing 31-acre site in Golborne, where the company has based its Wigan operations since 1969.

Designed by GTH Architects, the development will be split into phases, with the first phase to deliver a new hub for the firm and the second phase to provide 26 homes off Wigan Road.

Named the One Murphy Hub, the depot will be built on the greenfield agricultural land next to the company’s existing facility to create a three-storey office building alongside two workshops.

The larger workshop will measure 21,300 sq ft while the smaller building will measure 4,000 sq ft.

An associated yard will contain a weighbridge, as well as a railway testing track to test rail machinery and to train rail plant operators.

Proposals for the greenfield land also feature an 18-acre public park with footpaths and timber decking.

Once the One Murphy Hub is completed and the company has vacated its existing depot, the existing buildings will be demolished to make way for 26 homes.

There will be a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom properties in the form of terraced, semi-detached, and detached houses, as well as bungalows and apartments.

Of the 26 homes, six will be available for affordable rent and one for shared ownership.

The scheme was approved despite objections regarding noise pollution and the potential impact on highway safety.

WSP is the scheme’s planning consultant. Also on the project team are Hankinson Duckett Associates, Buro Happold, Delta-Simons, and Transport Planning Practice.

Hindley Green Business Park

Application number: A/22/94796/MAJOR

Eden Asset Management will go ahead with its partial redevelopment of the Wigan business park following the council’s approval.

The Campbell Driver Partnership-designed scheme will see the demolition of an existing office block to create 63,600 sq ft of industrial and commercial space fronting Leigh Road.

There will be 17 industrial units provided, ranging from 1,200 sq ft to 8,000 sq ft, as well as two 2,500 sq ft commercial units to be used as a drive-through coffee shop and restaurant.

In addition to these units, plans also include 143 car parking spaces and 22 electric vehicle charging points.

Plans were submitted for the project in December, just two weeks after the original version of the application was withdrawn.

The earlier iteration of the plans was almost identical to those approved, calling for 18 industrial units instead of 17. Those proposals had aroused opposition from Cllr John Vickers, who raised concerns regarding the additional traffic generated by the food and beverage units.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the amended plans still raised concerns regarding road safety, as well as litter and vandalism. However, other councillors believed that the site’s potential for employment outweighs those concerns.

With a tied vote, Cllr Paul Kenny chose to approve the proposals.

Urban Future is the planning consultant for the scheme. The project team also includes SCP, WML, and LK Consult.