Wigan Council to audit controversial warehouse hub planning call | Manchester News

Wigan Council’s decision to approve the construction of four large industrial warehouses overshadowing the homes of hundreds of residents is to be independently scrutinised.

People living on the Henfold Estate in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, said the new development was like having a football stadium being erected at the bottom of their gardens.

The council said it had agreed to commission an independent audit of the 2024 planning process to “ensure additional transparency”.

Residents said an independent audit would only be credible if they can agree who should investigate and that whoever is appointed is genuinely impartial.

“The full planning file, correspondence, and officer recommendations must be made available and the council must commit to acting on any findings,” said residents’ group Astley Warehouses Action.

Wigan Council said it was “confident that the decision to grant planning permission aligns with national planning policy”.

The local authority said it had agreed to commission the independent audit “to ensure additional transparency”.

“We are in the process of identifying a suitable organisation to undertake the review and will let the group know as soon as a decision is made to check they are comfortable with the selection before proceeding,” the council said.

The residents’ group added that the audit “will have little meaning if construction continues during the process”.

“We remain open to constructive dialogue, but until we have the results of an independent audit, the responsible course of action is to pause construction, ensure transparency, and rebuild trust with the people this decision affects most.”

The council’s planning committee initially approved outline proposals for a development of low-rise warehouses in 2015, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Residents living on the estate at the time supported the scheme because the anticipated buildings would have been smaller and not as intrusive.

However, after that planning approval lapsed a new application for four 60ft (18m) high warehouses – which many residents have said they were unaware of – was approved in June 2024.

“For well over a year, residents have raised serious questions about the process by Wigan Council’s planning department,” the action group said.

“From a lack of environmental assessments, missing consultation steps, and even homes missing on planning maps to name a few.

“These issues raise real concerns about transparency, procedure, and public trust.”

Residents, some of whom bought their homes under a shared ownership scheme, said the stress of the construction of the 350,000 sq ft (32,500 sq m) warehouse hub was affecting their mental health.

They also said it was having an adverse effect on staff and pupils at Garrett Hall Primary School, which also stands in the shadow of the warehouses.

The action group launched a fundraising campaign in September to force a judicial review into Wigan Council’s decision to approve the planning application by PLP, part of Peel Group.

Last month the group presented a dossier of their complaints to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who promised to study it and consult with officials.

The council said it “remains in dialogue” with the residents’ group and “fully acknowledges the concerns raised regarding the proposed development”.

“Our commitment is to continue working with both the group and the developer to address these issues wherever possible,” the council said.