All the big developments due to be decided in Wigan this week

The two developments, one in Ince and the other in Standish, are set to be hotly debated at the meeting in Wigan Town Hall today (October 10) with dozens of objectors making their feelings heard ahead of the meeting.

The committee members will have the task of hearing from objectors and developers for each application on the agenda – with all applications gathering objections from locals.

The two other items on the agenda are smaller in scale and both involve the creation of two small care homes for children.

106-home plan on vacant land off Enterprise House

In the space of a demolished business park off Seaman Way would be 106 new homes if the committee approves the plan. The homes would be built in the vacant space left by Enterprise House, which was bulldozed in 2022 – neighbouring the Amberswood Rise housing development.

The project would deliver a mix of detached, semi-detached and terraced houses, bosses say. Although the development put forward by Stonebond Properties is for affordable homes and affordable rent properties, there is still anger from those in the development next door.

Residents in their dozens have complained about how Amberswood Rise is not yet complete and this new developement would add to current problems of traffic and rat runs. There is also concern the proposed site would be higher and therefore overlook the neighbouring development – leading to privacy issues.

Two Ince ward representatives, Coun David Molyneux and Coun Maureen O’Bern have flagged concerns about the destruction of a woodland corridor at the back of locals’ properties. Amberswood Nature Reserve sits just a stone’s throw away from the proposed site.

New access road to the Rectory Farm housing development

Developers want permission for a new access route to the 119-home estate they were given the green light to build back in 2021 – but locals think they have suffered enough traffic problems.

The Rectory Lane site is currently under construction in Standish after Wain Homes Ltd were granted approval, but now they want to provide another access route for 22 of the homes via another street – Grasslands. This street sits at the back of a cul-de-sac which backs onto the site currently being built.

If this plan was approved, it means new residents of the development would have to go all the way through the neighbouring Broadfern estate to access their new home whilst construction work is complete. Once the development is finished, the idea is that the houses will be accessible for residents via Rectory Lane as originally planned.

But locals of the Broadfern estate, they have suffered with construction vehicles dirtying up their roads for too long and want this new plan kicked into the long grass.

One objector said: “I object to the proposal on the basis that our estate has suffered long enough with heavy construction traffic and the subsequent issues i.e., dirty roads and multiple near misses with residents.

“The agreed access route for the new estate needs to be used, with the blind bends present on Broadfern an increase in traffic (especially people who are not used to the bends) will surely only cause us more issues even if it is only temporary.”

Care homes for children

The planning committee will also need to make a decision on two applications for small children’s homes, both in Standish.

The applications seek permission from Wigan Council to change two homes currently acting as regular residential houses into care homes for children. If plans are approved, one home on Broadcare would be transformed into a two-child care home and the other on Bradley Lane would become a children’s home for four.

All four applications to be discussed by the committee have been recommended for approval by planning officers.