Planning D-day pushed back

Development plans for land off Heath Lane in Lowton were due before the council’s planning committee on Tuesday but have now been pushed back until August’s meeting.

Officers are now considering whether the new report will have an impact on the housing projections for the borough which could, in turn, have an influence on planning committee decisions.

Two applications for Standish have also been deferred.

Mike Worden, Wigan Council’s assistant director for planning and transport, said: “Last Tuesday the Government published new household projections to 2039. These give revised forecasts of how many households we are likely to have to provide new homes for.

“We need to carry out some assessments of the implications of these revised forecasts on our housing land requirements and supply.

“This information is important to Planning Committee members when they consider the housing applications, so it has been decided to defer consideration of those applications, so that members can make decisions on the basis of understanding the implications of the revised forecasts.”

Developer Bloor Homes had bid to create a 129-strong housing plot on agricultural land.

The application has been subject to a petition launched by the Lowton East Neighbourhood Development Forum (Lendf). And Lowton ward councillors James Grundy, Kath and Ed Houlton have voiced their opposition to the plan which is part of the borough’s core strategy scheme.

In addition to the objections by the trio of Conservative ward councillors, 35 letters have been received from residents in opposition.

The report reads: “The grounds of objection relate to conflict with the core strategy, highway issues, traffic congestion and road safety; impact on education and health services; loss of trees, shrubs, and open space; impact on wildlife; pollution; drainage/flooding concerns; impact on amenity and character of the area; possible anti-social behaviour; noise and disturbance during construction.”

Six letters of support were submitted to the town hall. The next planning meeting takes place on August 16.