Owner hits back at claims his Wigan site is an 'eyesore'

Liam Gallagher, who owns Morris Fold Farm on Wigan Road, Aspull, said a number of concerns raised by people living nearby were “incorrect.”

He has spoken after the Wigan Post reported how residents had said thousands of tonnes of waste has been dumped on the track to the cottage.

Neighbours also complained about mess including rubble and a bench and tyre, saying that the waste is being burnt.

Both resident Robert Smith and the local councillor Coun John Hilton have raised their concerns about the site and want something done about it.

They called on the Environment Agency (EA) to sort out the problem which they labelled a “disgrace” and “horrendous.”

The EA said they have made visits to the site and that they are currently investigating the matter.

But Mr Gallagher, who owns the site with wife Mandy Gallagher, said they had been trying to “improve the site.”

He said: “I’ve been here since 1995 and we’re trying to turn this back into a paddock.

“There’s planning permission for stables which was given in 1995, not as been reported that there was no planning permission.

“We’re trying to improve the site which is a delivery yard and farm.”

He said that horse waste is being stored and will be prepared as fertiliser and will be used on farm fields.

He also said the area was “not a dumping ground” but an ongoing area that will be fenced off at a later date.

All materials stored on the land will be reclaimed for their property and advocated road entrance and exit to their house, he said.

Mr Gallagher said: “The main use of the stored material will be as hardstanding for a future development which is currently at planning department stage. Any surplus will be used in other ways for the road on our property.

“We have explained that the presence of our so-called rubble and the bench is used as a support for placing tools on etc when working on machinery.

“The tyre is a spare tyre for the current working JCB that our business is presently using. To my knowledge, no tyres have ever been burnt on my property.”

He also denied that waste had been dumped and burnt and nor had it been on the road to the cottage, as it is all needed to be reclaimed by the business.

While he said claims that the waste was in transit were also “incorrect.”

He added: “There is only movement on my property from one area to another.

“There is no smell on the site and nothing has been burnt.”