Concerns over borough 1,800-home development

Concerns have been raised about the environmental impact of a major 1,800-home development in the borough.
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Permission was granted for the first phase of the flagship North Leigh Park scheme at Wigan Council’s planning committee in September following submission of an application earlier last year.

The first phase of the new development, which is to be named Lindley Village, will include 199 new homes.

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Countryside started work on the site early this year to deliver an initial 87 new homes, all of which are intended for affordable housing through its housing association partner, Great Places Housing Group.

The Delph, off Nel Pan Lane, Wigan, is being developed with more than 1,000 homes to be built on itThe Delph, off Nel Pan Lane, Wigan, is being developed with more than 1,000 homes to be built on it
The Delph, off Nel Pan Lane, Wigan, is being developed with more than 1,000 homes to be built on it

The remaining 112 properties will be available for open market sale.

But a resident living near the site has raised fears that some of the homes built in the site will be on poisonous hazardous waste.

Anthony Gregson said that there is an old mine shaft on the site which he claims is contaminated.

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He said: They are attempting to drain and fill in an old lake that is commonly know locally as The Delph. It is on the fields just between Nel Pan Lane and Abbey Lane in Westleigh. This is an old mine shaft and is known to be contaminated with all sorts of poisonous materials and asbestos, as well as dumped carcasses from the foot and mouth outbreak.

“What people won’t know once they buy one of the houses that are being built on there, will be that their gardens will just be poisonous hazardous waste with a layer of top soil on top of them.

“I think this seriously needs investigation, as it just seems to be being overlooked for profit purposes.”

Approval of the first phase marked a significant step forward in Countryside’s masterplan to deliver 1,800 new homes, a new district centre, infrastructure and the retention of green open space across the 135-acre site over a 10-year period.

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Countryside is currently working with Wigan Council to progress wider plans for the new site, including land remediation and to provide part of the link road between the M6 and M61 –between Leigh Road and Atherleigh Way.

In March this year, the developer also made two fresh applications to Wigan Council as part of phase 1B for the development, which is north of Nel Pan Lane. One of them includes designs for 257 houses. The other is a hybrid application which includes 250 houses and plans for the link road from Leigh Road to Atherleigh Way.

Countryside declined to comment.

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