Junction plan near site earmarked for major house-building project sparks furious reaction from MP

Wigan Council has been heavily criticised by a borough MP after a bid to create a junction off Atherleigh Way to serve the Pocket Nook site in Lowton appeared on its planning site.

The application is also for a spur road and associated engineering works and is linked to plans to build hundreds of houses in the area.

However, the bid has sparked fury as the report includes a diagram showing the line of a potential Pocket Nook road link running through the Carr Farm area on its way to meeting Newton Road at Enterprise Way.

And Carr Farm owner Peter Adamson has repeatedly told the authorities that he will not sell his land at Carr Lane under any circumstances and the route should be dropped from all local and regional planning documents.

In the wake of the latest application Mr Adamson has once again written to the town hall outlining his position.

And he has been defended by Conservative MP for Leigh James Grundy, who blasted both the timing of the application appearing on the council’s website during the coronavirus pandemic and its contents.

Mr Grundy said: “I think it is outrageous to be proceeding with a major strategic planning proposal when there’s no possibility of proper consultation during the coronavirus crisis.

“Not only does it cover land not owned by the applicant but the landowner is fundamentally opposed to the proposal.

“Generally, I think it is pretty despicable.

“We are, of course, in the process of submitting an objection to Wigan Council, but it should never have come forward at this time in the first place.”

Pocket Nook is listed for residential development on both Wigan Council’s Local Plan and the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF).

The application for an access point is for a T-junction controlled by traffic lights off Atherleigh Way south of Arlington Drive.

The road would then swing south past houses under construction, with the bend acting as a traffic-calming measure.

The junction is within land owned by the Milnes Gaskell Estate, which commissioned the report from CBO Transport, and the adopted highway boundary.

However, it is the scenarios for further down the track which are causing controversy.

The report covers the possibility of the road serving only the new Pocket Nook houses but also running through to Newton Road.

It is this latter idea, which is included in the GMSF as an aim, which brings developers into conflict with Mr Adamson.

In his most recent letter to Wigan Council Mr Adamson wrote: “Once again I find that my land at Pocket Nook is under threat.

“This is despite having informed Wigan planners on several occasions that the land is not for sale and won’t be in the foreseeable future, and should be removed from these plans and any future ones.

“I can confirm that I have no intention of selling this land for any type of development.”

Mr Adamson is also being backed by the Lowton East Neighbourhood Development Forum (Lendf), which is urging residents in the area to submit objections to the plans.

The landowner also sought confirmation from the town hall that compulsory purchase would not be used, and the local authority has confirmed that is not on the

cards.

However, it also said it was unable to agree to his request to have the land designated as green belt.

Wigan Council’s response highlighted the fact the full route to Newton Road is only included in the current planning application as an indicative alignment.

A town hall spokesperson said: “The council will only use compulsory purchase powers as a last resort and planning permission would normally need to be in place before it does so.

“Given there is no planning permission in place for a development scheme or any planning application currently submitted on Mr Adamson’s land that would, the council can confirm that compulsory purchase is not an option at this current time.”

To view the Atherleigh Way junction application, search for A/20/88953/MAJOR on the planning section of Wigan Council’s website.