Campaigners say 'the fight isn't over' after Wigan Council U-turned on plans to free up former greenbelt land in Astley for a huge business park.
Bridgewater West Removed from Local Plan
Bridgewater West was tipped to become the home of around 540,000 sq ft of 'employment space' under the council's Local Plan. Peel Group, which owns the land, planned to turn the area into a 'campus style' business park, alongside new homes and a Park and Ride.
Campaigners have opposed the scheme from the start, arguing the open fields separating Astley and Boothstown are 'vital' to the local community and wildlife as well as protection from flooding. After a year of disputes, Wigan bosses have now rowed back on the scheme.
Four 'controversial' sites will be removed from the local plan. The document was due to be greenlit for public consultation at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, August 27. However now, The Bell, north of Junction 26, the Moss Industrial Estate extension, a pocket of land West of Winwick Lane in Lowton, and the Bridgewater West site will no longer be up for development.
Campaigners Celebrate but Warn of Ongoing Battle
Joanna Allsopp, a high school teacher campaigning for the protection of the land, said the shift was a 'positive step'.
“It's a significant U-turn,” the Astley resident said. “It's extraordinary to see the councillors making videos in the fields here saying 'this clearly isn't the right place for development' after they've spent a lot of time and money creating this plan, which included the Bridgewater West site. We appreciate them listening. It shows when the community comes together we do have power – but only if we stick together.”
She said the fight was far from over for the Save Our Astley and Boothstown Greenbelt campaign group. “We're still up against Peel,” Joanna added. “They're keen to develop the land and could try to fight against this decision.”
While the council has said they have enough other land available to meet its development targets, Joanna feels the future is still uncertain.
She said: “This plan could be revised next year. The targets could change. Nine months down the line, we don't want to end up back in the same position. That's why we need to keep fighting to get some long-term protection for this incredibly important space.”
Peel Group Disappointed, Council Defends Decision
Sandra Leyland, who leads the campaign group, suggested the biggest problem was that the land is still included in Places for Everyone (PfE) – a GMCA scheme that designates land across the region for development into housing or employment uses. Under PfE, the land in Astley has technically been 'de-designated' as greenbelt land.
“The fight is still on,” Sandra told the LDRS. “This was just one battle. Peel won't like being told no – and they're a huge corporation with a lot of money to throw at this to fight legal battles. We are just ants. But we are working behind the scenes to make it more probable the site will be taken out of PfE. My kids grew up running through these fields, my grandkids take the dogs for a walk there. We want to keep this green space for the future, for our children, and their children, and their children.”
The campaign group will still be taking part in a protest march across Astley and Boothstown on Saturday, August 22.
A Peel Land spokesperson said: “Bridgewater West was a proposed allocation in the draft Wigan Local Plan of 2025, having previously been acknowledged as grey belt land. We are naturally disappointed that the Council now intends to remove the draft allocation and will be considering our options for bringing forward Bridgewater West.”
They defended their 'high quality proposal' to create a business park that 'could play a key role in meeting the lack of sites in Wigan for professional, scientific and technical, creative and related manufacturing businesses'. The proposal would also have 'helped alleviate local congestion' through the Park and Ride and improved connections to Chat Moss, and would not have included large scale warehousing, according to the spokesperson.
In an official statement from the council, Councillor Paul Kenny, cabinet holder for planning, environmental services and transport, said the change of heart came after 'listening to feedback' from local communities.
Coun Kenny said: “We are aware of the depth of feeling surrounding these four sites. By removing them from the latest version of the Local Plan, we believe we have struck the right balance between supporting economic growth and protecting our environment.”
