Wigan pulls land for 5m sq ft of employment space from local plan
The council has opted not to include four Green Belt sites in its refreshed local plan in response to concerns from residents and politicians. The authority has also formally objected to Peel Land’s Gibfield Park masterplan, which could deliver 500 homes and 375,000 sq ft of sheds.
Wigan Council has announced it intends not to allocate four Green Belt sites for release from the Green Belt to be developed into employment units following concerns raised by residents and councillors.
These are:
- Land north of the M6 Junction 26 in Wigan, capable of accommodating around 1.6m sq ft
- Moss Industrial Estate Extension in Leigh, earmarked for 480,000 sq ft of sheds
- Bridgewater West in Astley, a site that could have seen 540,000 sq ft of employment space built
- Land west of Winwick Lane in Lowton, the largest of the four and earmarked for 2.4m sq ft of units.
A cabinet report states that, without the sites, Wigan still has enough employment land to deliver its share of jobs set out in the Places for Everyone joint spatial plan for Greater Manchester but that there will be “qualitative gap in the borough’s employment land provision in terms of the range of types of sites available”.
The move comes as Wigan Council continues to come under fire from residents in Astley over the construction of large warehouses located close to people’s homes.
Councillor Paul Kenny, cabinet portfolio holder for planning, environmental services and transport, said: “We have listened to your feedback, and the views of our communities have been reflected in these decisions.
“We are aware of the depth of feeling surrounding these four sites. By removing them from the latest version of the Local Plan, we believe we have struck the right balance between supporting economic growth and job creation, providing opportunities for residents, and protecting our environment.”
Earlier this year, Peel Land unveiled plans for Gibfield Park, a 173-acre mixed-use scheme between Atherton and Westhoughton featuring 490,000 sq ft of industrial space. In July, the landowner returned with revised plans, currently out for consultation, that saw the amount of employment space reduced by more than 100,000 sq ft in response to feedback from residents.
However, despite the reduction, Wigan Council said it will not be backing the proposals, despite the site being allocated for development in Places for Everyone.
The cabinet report states: “It is clear that the Gibfield Park Masterplan is not acceptable and is the wrong plan for our residents and borough.”
“With Gibfield, we simply do not believe the proposals are appropriate and we will make that clear through the consultation,” Kenny said. “The masterplan requires the council’s approval and, in its current form, we cannot support it.”
Another Peel site, 275 acres south of Hindley earmarked for 2,000 homes, will remain in the Local Plan as it progresses to its next stage. However, the council has stipulated that a link road to unlock the scheme must be “funded and programmed before any homes are built and occupied”.
A spokesperson for Peel Land said: “Gibfield Park is allocated in the adopted Places for Everyone Plan, to help meet Wigan’s need for new homes and jobs, supporting growth and infrastructure improvements within the NorthFold Growth Corridor. We have worked with the council for many years to shape these proposals and have made changes to the masterplan in response to community feedback earlier this year.
“We note the cabinet report and will of course consider any comments made by Cabinet in response to the masterplan consultation, alongside feedback from the local community, before determining next steps in the delivery of this allocated site.”
Wigan has totally lost it’s bottle in the face of opposition, because it’s something it has not been used to or had to take seriously before. The consequences of being less ambitious on housing and employment space will be felt for decades. The Greater Manchester Strategy has a priority to “boost northern competitiveness” and opposing development, including on sites allocated in Places for Everyone, completely undermines that.
By Crikey Moses
Plan-making on political whims rather than an evidence base? What could possibly go wrong?!
By Plan-maker
If the planning team at Wigan had competently consented / managed the Astley Warehouses project none of this would be happening.
The local area has seen a huge amount of house building over recent years but there has been very little in the way of infrastructure upgrades to go with this. Ultimately that can only go on for so long before residents get to the point that they are so frustrated that they take to the streets. That is exactly what has happened at Bridgewater West and the council has listened (rightly or wrongly).
By Astley Resident
What is the point of plan making if Local Authorities can’t stick to their policies
By TJL
Excellent news!!For us&our neighbours,the farm,wildlife&safety of children!!!👍👍🤭
By Anonymous
Such a shame, Wigan will suffer I am afraid. Investment will take place elsewhere.
By Anonymous
Wow, total lack of leadership on show here. Lose lose situation as these schemes will come forward any way. Objecting to Gibfield, allocated in PfE, public money wasted at appeal, no doubt.
By Anonymous
Some good news at last. The Winwick land was to be part of the most prepostouros plan to build a huge rail freight terminal with warehouses bigger than Astley s Goliath cranes, 1200 HGVs a day in and out. As if the M6 at Winwick currently works well, it’s a log jam constantly. This plan would cripple it.
By Saint
A lot of developers whining here. Well done Wigan
By Anon
Just because Wigan pulls the proposed allocation form its emerging Local Plan doesn’t mean an Inspector won’t put it back in during the examination… nor does it mean that a developer won’t submit an application for it anyway. The celebratory comments seem a bit premature.
By Anonymous
Manchesterism in action for the Prime Minster’s home borough.
By Heather Small
Beggars belief that people think progress is wiping out 100s of acres of good greenbelt farmland for a rail terminal. We sit in traffic queues all day, our hospitals are overcrowded, schools over subscribed, doctors appt difficult, infrastructure broken. We need to fix these before aimlessly building more and more houses and industrial estates in farmland. Oh I forgot the farmland doesn’t make the incompetent councils enough money, we need more for them to squander. See new bike lane in Leigh if you don’t think they are squandering it!!!!
By Exasperated