Row over private garden plan in Wigan

A row has broken out over plans to turn a small plot of land in Wigan into a private garden.

Applicant Mark Crompton wants to change the use of the land, which he said is public open space, to a garden to serve 124 Hartley Green Gardens, Billinge.

The plot is next to Mr Crompton’s home and the proposals submitted to Wigan Council would see the existing gate move to create access to the proposed garden from his property.

Mr Crompton said he intends to plant shrubs and add bedding plants to improve the appearance of the land.

But a resident living on the estate said they were opposed to the application as the land is greenbelt and used to play on by children living there.

They said: “The space is designed as greenbelt and changing to someone’s garden allows future development of the land. My young children use the space to play and you see it as a safe area for them to play without risk.

She added: “The closest area of public park space is some distance away, across a very busy and dangerous main road and is quite frankly not very well maintained or hygienic.”

But applicant Mr Crompton said there was no intention to build anything on the land and would benefit the community by improving the green space.

He said: “The proposal is to submit an application for a change of use to a small plot of land, immediately adjacent to our property.

“Its current status is ‘Public Open Space’ and the intended change of use would be to ‘Private Garden.’

“This is with a view to improve both our property’s privacy and security, and the security of the estate itself, whilst making improvements to the green space and street scene, thus benefiting the whole community.

“The site would remain as it is now, including the current fenced perimeter, except that our intention would be to move the existing gate to enable access to the proposed garden from our property. It is also our intention to plant shrubs and add bedding plants to improve the appearance of this small, isolated plot of land, without any detrimental, visible impact on the current street scene.

He added: “There is no intention on our part, now or in the future, to build anything on the land or to construct any additional or new fencing around the perimeter of the aforementioned land.”