Deadline close for Wigan residents to have their say on new development guidance

The deadline is looming for residents to have their say on new guidelines which will help developers meet Wigan Council’s green spaces.

The consultation on the supplementary planning document (SPD) – which will also ensure designs reflect the borough’s unique environmental character – will close on Tuesday, January 19.

If approved, it will ensure that new schemes take into account the health and wellbeing of residents and links to green infrastructure.

The approach looks to ensure that new development takes into consideration and reflects the borough’s wider environment and bases design on the borough’s unique character, features and topography.

Once the SPD is adopted, the council will expect applicants who are seeking planning permission to demonstrate how they have taken account of the need for good quality landscape design in their development proposals.

The SPD will also act as a device to provide greater clarity and detailed local design guidance for any future submissions and help inform developers during the decision making process.

With projections only pointing to hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters within the UK, there would be an expectation to see planting and habitat creation to mitigate the impacts of CO2 emissions, while likewise considerations on how surface water can be drained sustainably.

New projects should also be able to strengthen local identity. Designs should demonstrate the use of the right materials appropriate for the area with high quality, sustainable materials.

Improving health is a key objective for Wigan Council and that is why planners will look for submissions that help to create a network of multifunctional open space and better-connected longer distance walking and cycling routes. The Landscape Design SPD will close on January

19.

It can be viewed on the council’s Consultations page at www.wigan.gov.uk.

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