Trees chopped down at Wigan building site

A construction company has sparked anger among residents by chopping down trees at a site where dozens of homes are being built
The trees chopped down on Green LaneThe trees chopped down on Green Lane
The trees chopped down on Green Lane

Persimmon Homes has strongly denied any wrongdoing at the project on Green Lane in Hindley Green.

Other news: Inspector rejects planning appeal over Wigan travellers siteThe firm said it had to cut down around 10 trees at the end of the development close to the junction with Swan Lane but stressed it had only taken action on its own land and had spared anything that was the subject of a tree preservation order.

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However, the loss of foliage has still not got down well with local residents, some of whom bitterly opposed the construction work back at the planning stage.

A spokesman for Persimmon Homes North West said: “We can confirm that the site clearance work carried out was done so under a licence agreed with the current landowner.

“The trees that were removed were not subject to a tree preservation order (TPO). The two beech trees that remain are protected by TPOs and as such have been appropriately fenced off and remain in situ.”

Wigan Council also said it thought the work had all been done legally and only on land owned by the company.

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Local resident Bill Hurst was left indignant after spotting the remains of the diggers’ work on Monday morning, claiming there was no need for

Persimmon Homes to touch the trees which are thought to have been there for decades.

Mr Hurst said: “There were about 14 or so trees there and about 11 of them have now been cut down.

“I’ve lived in this area for 40 years and they’ve been there that entire time as far as I can remember so they are quite old and mature trees.

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Residents including myself are not impressed at all. The part where they are working is a fairly long way away so the trees are nothing to do with where they are building houses.

“They’ve left about six inches of stump on each tree sticking up. The rest has been chopped down and taken away.”

Residents have long objected to the building of 84 homes on the triangular site between Green Lane and Alder Road.

Almost 30 letters of objection were posted to the town hall when Persimmon’s proposal went before the planning committee, ultimately gaining unanimous approval from elected representatives.

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It is not the first time construction work has been objected to either, with locals furiously writing to the council last year accusing the firm of sending JCBs to flatten the land and destroy wildlife habitat during the nesting season.

Wigan Council on that occasion said landowners were permitted to carry out clearance work but urged residents to report suspected breaches of legislation protecting nature to the police.