'We’re living among floating faecal matter and maggots' says disgusted residents of new Wigan estate
Wigan residents say they are facing a major health hazard as raw sewage is repeatedly pumped up from drains during bad weather.
Faeces and maggots have been ejected into people’s gardens and a foul smell sometimes hangs in the air on Rothwells Farm, Golborne, which is owned and was built by Taylor Wimpey.
The landlord says the problem has been caused by some householders flushing inappopriate items down toilets and sinks, causing underground blockages.
It says the problem has now been solved but locals contacting Wigan Today say it hasn’t and say the situation worsened as more homes were added to the estate, putting more pressure on the sewerage.
One resident, who has lived on the estate since 2020, said: “The drainage has expanded and had a direct impact on us across the whole estate, specifically the smell.
There’s also faecal matter coming up through the drains onto people's own personal plots on the street, and the continued stench that goes across the estate.
"Taylor Wimpey are opening concerns from other residents and closing these concerns saying that there’s not an issue when there’s definitely a huge issue. We’re living among floating faecal matter and maggots.”
Adding: “You don’t expect to buy a £350,000 house, well, you don’t expect to spend any money and live in among this smell and waste.”
Residents say rainfall makes the issue worse.
One resident said: “The blockage on the main roadway drain backed up onto my driveway drains and eventually backed up into my ground floor toilet to which then led to my downstairs being flooded.
"We have had to have the toilet repaired, flooring ripped up and replaced and some contents replaced given it was raw sewage water – this was just before Christmas.”
Another estate resident said: “We only moved in in January, and then in February the shower from our en suite suddenly started stinking.
"There were a few nights we had to sleep with the windows open, even though it was winter, because the smell was so strong it overtook the whole bedroom.
"We contacted Taylor Wimpey who seemed to take it really seriously on the phone and said they’d open a case, then the next day we got an automated response saying the case had been closed.”
Similarly, another resident of the same estate said: “The smell I have experienced, it's foul. As soon as you hit the corner of Farm Croft near the field and up to the main road the smell is just disgusting.”
After bringing the issue to their attention, a Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said: “Following reports of drainage issues at Rothwells Farm, we promptly investigated the matter and identified the cause to be a buildup of non-dissolvable household waste.
“We can confirm that the blockage has been cleared and the drainage system is operating as intended. To help prevent a recurrence, we will remind residents of the correct disposal methods for household waste.”
Despite Taylor Wimpey’s comment, residents claim that the smell still persists throughout the estate.