Pollution already above legal limits is increased. Please help support saving these green spaces. Objection Speech for the Wigan Council Planning Committee hearing on Tuesday. We argue that this application does NOT match the Vision and Policies of Wigan Council. Regardless of how much mitigation and alterations of road junctions…
this development WILL increase already above capacity traffic in A
shton. It WILL increase HGV movements through our town centre. It WILL increase above legal range air pollution for thousands of residents. Regardless of any financial offers to offset the loss of biodiversity…
this development WILL destroy a huge area of local green-space. It WILL contribute to climate change
It WILL destroy wildlife habitats. It WILL eliminate 90 acres of carbon capture and thousands of vital trees. It WILL diminish the precious Greenbelt. (Greenbelt)
National Planning Policy Framework, Section 13 regarding Greenbelt…
“ …the local authority should be able to demonstrate that it has examined fully all other options…and …makes as much use as possible of suitable brownfield sites…”
The Officers Report claims that the new road through Greenbelt constitutes ‘local transport infrastructure’…
This is NOT local infrastructure but merely access to new warehouses. (Employment)
Wigans Spatial vision and Strategic Plans aspire to connect Wigan residents with better opportunities, more skills, qualifications and well-paid jobs. This site meets NONE of the Council's (?) strategic employment objectives. Warehousing employees are amongst the LOWEST paid in the economy. Job creation within this sector will merely EXACERBATE rather than alleviate Wigan’s position of paying 18% LESS than the national average wage. Developer Glenbrook, promotes the area as having low-cost labour. Their Economic Impact Assessment CONFIRMS this. The council must NOT permit a company to develop a site when it clearly does not share the Council’s vision. Promoting Wigan be a low-cost, low-skilled area without ambition for its residents is a WRONG-DOING. Wigan Council states it recognizes the value of jobs and skill creation arising from the activities of small and medium businesses’ in Wigan Vision 2030
This proposal DOES NOT offer this opportunity since warehousing is aimed primarily at LARGER companies. Glenbrook has drastically reduced its headline job creation promises. We can NOT rely on a company that changes its figures with the wind. The Officers Report claims the development will address the current employment shortage across the Borough. What employment shortage? (Opposition)
Nearly 500 people in Ashton have objected including councillors and our MP Yvonne Fovargue. The last time this development was proposed Wigan Council AND Government Inspectors report recognised the traffic problems and duly REJECTED the application. I quote Government Inspector…
“….additional employment development at the South Lancs Industrial Estate must be severely restricted until such time as a viable means of substantially reducing through traffic is devised for this area…”
What has changed?? (Safety)
The Officers report records 50 traffic incidents in Ashton between 2015 – 2020. That’s almost 1 per month.
11 were serious and there was 1 fatality. The Officers report claims “there are no existing road safety issues”
Popular elderly resident Tommy Woodward died 2011 on a road traffic accident. (Traffic and Pollution)
The Officers Report states…
The Liverpool Road / Bryn Street junction is over capacity
The Warrington Road / Lily Lane junction is significantly overcapacity
The Gerard Street / Bolton Road junction is significantly overcapacity
It is WRONGDOING to make a bad situation even worse. The Officers report mentions an Air Quality Management Area 300 metres from the site. There are in fact 5 AQMAs between the site and Ashton Town Centre. The largest of which …. The Gerard Street / Bolton Road junction…which I mentioned moments ago is…. “observed to be significantly over capacity”! It is WRONGDOING to make a very bad situation even worse. How can any increases in traffic and pollution be acceptable when they are already above the limits? I repeat, since this application does NOT match the Vision and Policies of Wigan Council it CAN NOT go ahead.
