Hundreds of residents who attended a viewing of proposals for a 550-house development on Atherton farmland expressed concerns about congested local roads and a lack of school places and doctors surgeries.
The Lilford Estate, the landowner, plans to build the development on a 51.5-acre site south of Bolton Road in an area known as Shakerley. A public consultation meeting lasting five hours was held at Atherton and Tyldesley Botanical Gardens, close to the proposed site.
Members of the community group ASPECT (Atherton South Ecological Community Team) were present to answer questions, along with several local councillors, including Councillors James Fish, Paul Watson, and Jess Eastoe. Barbara Constantine, the 71 year old chair of ASPECT, explained that the group had adopted a 'neutral and pragmatic' approach to engaging with developers after losing a battle to prevent development in the south of Atherton in 2013 at the public inquiry stage.
The public exhibition was a preview to an outline planning application for the housing by Lilford, reports .
More detailed plans will be tabled as 'reserved matters', if the proposal is greenlit by Wigan council's planning committee. A leaflet from ASPECT handed out at a community meeting said: "Be in no doubt, this development has already been given an informal green light by Wigan council to meet its housing needs."
"It has been on the cards since it was included in the Wigan Borough Core Strategy more than a decade ago."
Local resident Barbara emphasised that this should not deter locals from contributing ideas to enhance the site before the submission of the formal outline planning application to Wigan council.
In a conversation with the Local Democracy Reporting Service post-meeting, Cllr James Fish said: "I didn't speak to one person who attended the meeting who is not against it. It's the usual problem of over congestion and a total lack of an adequate infrastructure to cope with the influx of new residents."
Peel Lane resident Vinny Smith, aged 67, shared his frustration: "It's a joke. My wife works at the Royal Bolton Hospital and she starts work at 8am. To arrive on time, which should be a short journey from here, she has to set off at 6.45am.
"She finishes at 5pm and it takes 45 minutes for her to get home. There just isn't the road infrastructure to cope with the extra residents."
John Patrick from Douglas Park said: "The traffic around here is horrendous. If there are 550 houses, there are likely to be an extra 1,500 cars at least. So the traffic problems will get even worse."
Sian Carradus, 42, has shared her concerns about potential land subsidence and flood risks to her property on Crawford Avenue due to its proximity to a proposed development site. She showed images of recent flooding near her home.
Local resident Phil Mills added: "The absence of school places is going to be big issue. The schools around here are already full. Are they going to build a new school? ".
Judy Westerdale, 55, also voiced her worries about losing green spaces and the implications of additional traffic flowing into the area. She said, "They talk about progress, but I don't think that necessarily results in improvements."
The PfE, Greater Manchester's strategic development framework, has earmarked the Shakerley land for residential development, backed by Wigan Council in their plans.
A spokesperson for Lilford Estate highlighted the estate's deep-rooted connection with Atherton, stating: "This includes the provision of parks and open spaces within the town utilising land within the estate's ownership". They added, "We remain committed to delivering sustainable development in Atherton and achieving Lord Lilford's objective of a lasting legacy for residents."
They also mentioned that over 1,300 leaflet invitations were sent out for a public exhibition event, which was described as 'well attended'. "We heard a variety of views on a range of relevant issues," the spokesperson continued.
Emphasising community involvement, they said, "We recognise and welcome that the local community wishes to engage and feel that this is an important part of the planning process."
The spokesperson assured that their planning application would be backed by "a comprehensive body of technical evidence covering the issues that have been raised" and that "Through the planning process, this evidence and the views of the community will be fully considered by Wigan council in determining whether the proposal should receive planning permission."
