Assurances demanded as Wigan industrial site up for sale

A vital industrial estate should not be sold for housing, concerned residents have demanded.

Locals in Standish have made the calls after it was confirmed Bradley Hall Trading Estate is being put up for sale.

Owners HIMOR have appointed a sales agent to market the Bradley Lane site which provides a number of jobs locally.

Now residents’ group Standish Voice and Conservative councillors Ray Whttingham and Adam Marsh wants reassurances that the estate will remain as a business park rather than used for more homes, especially with Standish already being a hotbed for a number of housing developments in recent years.

In 2015, planning permission was gained to demolish one half of the estate for housebuilding.

A number of plans have been passed for that site and another updated one is expected soon.

However, the remaining trading estate has been designated as an Employment Area and housing cannot go there unless the site is unviable – which people believe is not the case here.

A spokesman for Standish Voice insisted that the village “needs local jobs not more housing”.

They said: “HIMOR has told leaseholders that their agreement is unaffected and it is business as usual.

“But HIMOR’s past record shows they are only interested in maximising profit – after clearing businesses from the other half of the site and selling it for housing.

“We cannot let that happen to the remaining half.

“Standish needs local jobs – not more housing.”

Both Coun Whittingham and Coun Marsh have contacted Wigan Council’s chief executive asking them to help protect the business park.

Coun Whitingham said: “We need to protect the jobs at Bradley Hall Industrial Estate

“There have been previous attempts to build houses here, with planning permission already having been granted in 2015 to build on one half of the estate.

“This sale obviously poses a danger of more housing, but it could also be an opportunity to make sure the trading estate is sold to a company that is committed to it as an employment site.

“Bradley Hall provides many needed local jobs, and we can’t afford to lose them.”

A council spokesman said: “Bradley Hall Trading Estate is in the private ownership of HIMOR which is now a national land and property group.

“HIMOR are currently marketing the Bradley Hall Trading Estate for sale through agents at CBRE. The site is designated for employment use within the Standish Neighbourhood Plan which collectively with the Wigan Core Strategy Local Plan (2013) and the Replacement Unitary Development Plan (2006) recognises and safeguards the continued importance of Bradley Hall as an area of local employment.

“We understand that the trading estate is popular and has enjoyed over 96 per cent occupancy over the last four years. HIMOR’S agents (CBRE) are marketing the estate as a going concern with the marketing particulars of the site clearly indicating this site will continue to operate as a successful business location.”

HIMOR were unavailable for comment.

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