Fresh hopes for borough to meet housing targets

British Bakeries Wigan Bakery, Cale Lane, New Springs

A spate of developments earmarked for Wigan will contribute to housing targets set by the Greater Spatial Framework (GMSF), the town hall has said.

Developers and the council have recently announced several schemes across the borough, totalling hundreds of new homes.

The first draft of the over-arching GMSF included proposals to build almost 25,000 homes in the borough by 2035.

And concerns have been voiced the recently announced schemes would come on top of those plans.

A town hall spokesman allayed these fears though, confirming to the Wigan Post any new sites granted permission between 2015 and 2035 will contribute to the GMSF figure, not in addition.

Among the recently announced housing proposals is a development on Cale Lane in New Springs meaning the former Hovis bakery will be demolished.

Meanwhile, the council last week unveiled plans for a £14m affordable homes scheme with sites in Hindley, Winstanley and Orrell.

Developers have also submitted a bid to the town hall on the Parr Bridge Works site in Tyldesley, which includes 280 new houses, shops and a children’s day nursery.

The Cale Lane plans have sparked concerns about the development’s impact on congestion.

Posting on the Wigan Today Facebook page, resident William Roocroft said: “How will the local roads handle all the extra traffic.

“Cale lane is the only way out from there, Wigan road is already at a stand still every morning.”

Although Michelle Louise posted: “Better than an eyesore of a derelict factory on our hands and hundreds of bread wagons up and down Cale Lane, you never know might eventually may re-generate our area bring some nice shops and restaurants.

Regional authority leaders are currently working on a second draft of the GMSF with its first incarnation attracting criticism for its proposals to develop greenbelt land.

The figure of 24,895 quoted in the first draft includes 18,205 houses classed as “existing supply”; housing land “made up of sites with planning permission, including capacity on sites where building work has commenced, sites that are identified in the Local Plan Core Strategy.”

In addition to this, the overall figure includes new developments earmarked for the East Lancs corridor, totalling 3,400 houses, a 960 strong site North of New Springs and developments close to junction 26 of the M6 (170) and junction 25 (80).