A group of locals in Astley, Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, have been fighting against the development of massive warehouses, some as high as 60 feet, that have been erected just outside their back gardens. Part of the sprawling Astley Business Park, residents have called the development “soul-destroying” and have been complaining that it has caused flooding in backyards and along a pathway to the local primary school.
Their frustration has been channelled into a community group, The Astley and Mosley Common Warehouses Action Group (AWAG), who aim to draw attention to ongoing problems including property damage, devaluation and probing why no local officials questioned the project.
AWAG warehouse challenge rejected
In November, the group urged Wigan Council to issue a stop notice for ongoing works. It was rejected, with a council spokesperson telling The Independent: “We acknowledge the concerns being raised and an independent audit of the planning process is currently underway.” In an interview with North West Bylines, John Peters of AWAG told us that this audit is troubling because the council elects the body who will oversee the review, in this case, the Planning Officer’s Society (POS). Peters said the POS, which represents planning officers and their interests, undertaking the review felt like “Wigan planning officers marking their own homework.”
Following national media attention, the council’s website put out a statement that the planning process was carried out correctly. They also said the original mixed-use development plans, approved back in 2017, had not changed and that affected residents were informed.
PLP, a logistics company developing the site, insisted that they’re “delivering the scheme strictly in accordance with the planning consent” and “continues to manage the construction of the project to the highest of standards.”
Gardens and pathway to school see flood damage
Those who live next to the development have criticized the construction of the warehouses which they claim has degraded the community with flooding, property damage, and noise pollution. Residents have seen flooding, with the water level rising all the way to the tops of their backyard decking and some have noticed cracks in the foundations of their homes or collapsing flooring. One local had recently renovated his back garden, complete with lighting, furniture, and a jacuzzi. He believes that repairing the water damage will set him back a significant amount. Some are worried it won’t stop there: “It’s progressively getting worse […] I’m just thinking now, is it going to start flooding the kitchen?”
In mid-November, residents began experiencing flooding and Wigan Council were subsequently notified by AWAG. The council then had TanRo Ltd, the building site’s contractor, dig ditches of about 12 by 18 inches filled up with gravel, along the west side of the site. Following heavy rainfall, locals again experienced flooding in their gardens and some had it nearly reach the back door. The failure of this Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) was likely due to the stone soakaway’s incompatibility with clay soil, which has a slow permeability, and can result in standing water. A soakaway as a solution for the runoff went against the engineer’s original drainage design report from November 2024, which had deemed it not suitable because of “clay material encountered throughout [the] development site.”
Concerns are being raised that the response given to property damage and devaluation, especially around the border homes, is insufficient in comparison to the financial cost residents will bear. Peters iterated that when the council were queried about devaluation, they said that it was not a factor that was considered during the planning process.
Residents lose trust in local government
Among locals, there’s been a palpable sentiment that feels as if local council members have abdicated their responsibility to ensure the community’s interests are looked after. Comments on social media have directed anger towards leaders for permitting the development and abandoning residents when they demanded solutions be put in place. One comment showed the strength of feeling: “@wigancouncil You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself, as should the Mayor Jenny Bullen, who tried to shut down the councillors who had a bit of integrity and spoke up against this monstrosity. You gave permission for this, you’ve made the residents lives a misery and seem to be doing nothing to mitigate the negative effects.”
When asked if residents around the development had lost trust in local government, the action group commented “very much so.” They added that aside from those representing the Astley, Tyldesley and Mosley Common wards, Labour councillors had chosen to “toe the party line” with regard to planning policy. “This is a new phenomenon in this country,” said Peters. “[The government] is moving away from brownfield sites and putting more in urban areas.”
AWAG gains support and remain committed
After being the only member of the majority Labour council to vote against the development, Cllr James Fish resigned from the planning committee. He later joined the citizen’s group and has claimed that, since the media firestorm, several of his colleagues have confided privately that they wish they’d voted against the proposal. Fish said: “[the planning system] doesn’t favour residents or the community […] if we’ve got councillors saying they regret making the decision and they didn’t realize how tall the warehouses were, something’s not right.”
AWAG remain appreciative of how social media and national news coverage have helped transform their campaign: “We’ve had news teams come down and say, ‘Who gave this permission?’” This spotlight has led to offers of pro bono work from solicitors, architects and other professionals willing to get involved and requests of advice from other communities fighting encroaching developments.
While it remains highly improbable for the project to be scrapped at this stage, unanswered questions over how locals are meant to move forward with the challenges they face is a sticking point. AWAG admitted that citizens aren’t naive to the situation and its negative implications towards them. However, they stated:
We’re not heads in the sand, we’re not NIMBYs (not in my backyard), but we’re not going to give up.
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