Plans for a 150-home development in a Greater Manchester village have sparked outrage, even before a planning application has been submitted. Standish local councillor Ray Whittingham shared news of the anticipated scheme on Facebook after being informed by Wigan council of an impending planning application from Manchester's Mosaic Town Planning.
The proposed development is set to be located behind Moss Green Close and Wood Green Close, off Iron Drive, as an extension to the two year old Church Field estate site which is still under development. However, Cllr Whittingham and Standish residents are already expressing objections due to concerns over the local road network's capacity, strain on doctors' surgeries and dentists, and a lack of school places.
"There hasn't been any improvement in the roads around Standish since they built the M6 decades ago," he said. "The roads are already badly congested. Then there's the sewerage and drainage systems, that are creaking."
He added: "There is also a lack of doctors, dentists and school places."
Wigan's mayor Debbie Parkinson, who is also a Standish councillor, opposes the idea of more homes in the village, reports .
"I don't want any more houses in Standish," she said. "But I think we should wait until more details appear on the planning portal before we say anything else."
Andy Irving, 41, a resident of Moss Green Close and one of the last to have a house built by Persimmon, told he Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I would prefer the green fields there to be retained and not to be built on."
Neighbour Colin Tunstall, 62, added: "The roads around Standish are already choc-a-bloc," adding that "Some 150 more houses are going to make it far worse."
The Standish Community Facebook page has been inundated with objections following Cllr Whittingham's announcement about the anticipated planning application. One community member highlighted that Iron Drive, designated as the access route for the proposed development, is 'not suitable' for increased traffic.
A spokesperson from the Standish Voice community forum said: "Standish has probably seen the highest proportion of homes added to its housing stock over the past decade than anywhere else in the North West."
"But there has been no enhancement of our road infrastructure over that time to cope with around 30 per cent more traffic."
"And our NHS primary care services have actually worsened over that 10 years to the extent that the NHS locally has said our GP practice was in danger of being overwhelmed if there was any new housebuilding.
"Only a few weeks ago, Wigan's planning committee took the responsible decision to refuse new developments in Standish because of this."
A spokesperson for Wigan council declined to comment on the issue as a planning application has not yet been submitted. Mosaic Town Planning has been approached for a response.
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