Social housing flats plan in Wigan community

Wigan Council will develop the site on Longridge Avenue and has planned two blocks of one-bedroom flats, with gardens, parking and landscaping.

The homes would be for social rent, either through the council or a housing association, if the council chooses not to administer the properties themselves.

The council did a neighbour consultation on the scheme, and on another smaller site on Almond Brook Road, through a drop-in session at Standish Community Centre in March.

Now the Longridge Avenue application has proceeded to the planning application stage, but more work is having to be done to see if the Almond Brook Road site – a public garden area near St Stephen’s Road – is suitable for flats.

The application states: “The proposal for the site comprises eight one bedroom cottage flats with individual parking spaces, communal gardens, and associated landscaping. The site is designed to respect the existing neighbouring properties.

“The habitable windows and the building footprints are orientated to maximise interface distances and provide privacy to both the new and existing properties.

“Clear access for vehicles is provided to the substation to ensure access for maintenance and utility works.

“The flat layouts, communal stairs and approach routes are designed to be accessible and to meet the needs of occupants with differing needs, including some older or disabled people; and to allow adaptation of the apartments to meet the changing needs of occupants over time.

“The eight apartments comprise the following: two wheelchair user dwellings; six accessible and adaptable dwellings.

It added: “Two disabled ble for the occupants of the wheelchair user apartments, and level access landings are provided to all front entrances to facilitate access for occupants and visitors.”

Residents’ group Standish Voice will be looking at the planning application but they have previously supported the scheme in principle saying it provides social housing for people, including the elderly or the disabled, who may not be able to afford market home prices in Standish.