Protest against planned development of Wigan green belt land which acts as Blackpool donkeys’ holiday home
A protest group say they have a “shared determination” to protect green belt land in Wigan which could be zoned for industrial use.
Members and supporters of the Save The Bell Greenbelt From Development group gathered at the land, known as the Bell, in the Orrell area of Wigan.
Around 600 acres of green belt land has been designated for development by Wigan Council as part of a draft local plan.
Within the plan, which has not been adopted, the area is described as "land north of M6 Junction 26, Wigan.”
The area includes Latham House farm, which is used as a well-earned holiday retreat by Blackpool’s famous beach donkeys.
Last year, Jimmy and Gillian Morris, who manage the farm, said it could be concreted over under new development plans.
For around 25 years, some donkeys from Blackpool had been taken in over the winter months.
Wigan’s draft local plan states the area could ‘deliver a modern industrial and logistics development of around 150,000m sq of high quality “general industry and logistics” employment floorspace, with the potential for some smaller units.
It is not the first time that the future of the green land has been up in the air, with previous development plans for the site in 2016 scrapped.
The draft plans said re-classifying the land would also help deliver a link road from the A577 Orrell Road, at its junction with the M6 motorway at Junction 26, to Spring Road, Kitt Green “that is of a standard suitable to serve the whole development and the Heinz and Martland Park employment area to the north east.”
It would also be brought forward in conjunction with wider transport measures in the Pemberton area.
The Save The Bell group said: “A sincere thank you to everyone who came along and showed their support at The Bell.
“It was a fantastic turn-out and a strong reminder that our community remains united in protecting this important green space.
“It was also a valuable opportunity to catch up with one another and reaffirm that feelings across the community remain strong regarding the proposed development.”
The strategic development local plan is expected to go before Wigan full council for approval, at a date yet to be decided.