Luxury homes with spectacular views of cricket ground coming to Wigan village

Plans for the homes at Standish Cricket Club have been given the green light despite opposition from residents.

Wigan’s planning committee has approved the club’s scheme for five houses.

The Green Lane club argued it needed to sell off a chunk of its land on the edge of the grounds for houses in order to finance major improvements.

A new brick-built pavilion will also be built.

The money will ensure the cricket club’s survival, the club said.

Committee members of the club argued that its facilities have been falling into disrepair for a number of years.

They say the two sections of land would be used to replace the current wooden building with a ‘purpose built’ cricket pavilion, and pay for new practice facilities and an upgraded car park.

On its website the club said: “Without the land disposal, the sums involved for the proposed redevelopment project are so significant, they are prohibitively expensive, to the extent that the club’s 146-year history and ongoing existence are in serious doubt.”

One of the properties will be off Green Lane and four off Wilkesley Avenue. They will all have five bedrooms.

The application was approved in the face of detailed opposition from neighbouring residents.

One said: “Whilst we have sympathy with the cricket club and its desire to raise finance to support its future, it is clearly not the role of the planning system to permit development which is otherwise inappropriate in order to secure funding for the cricket club or otherwise.

“It is clear that the circumstances of the cricket club are not a material planning consideration and, however much support they have, this should not weigh in the determination of the planning application, which should be in accordance with the policies of the [Wigan] development plan and national guidance.”

They also cited the loss of protected trees, many of which are ‘of good quality and not in need of removal for legitimate arboricultural reasons’.

“This loss is inappropriate and directly contrary to the adopted Wigan Core Strategy which states that the authority will improve the natural environment and open spaces within settlements by ‘protecting trees and woodlands of value to amenity’.”

Nevertheless, the application was approved.