DESPAIRING neighbours living in the shadow of a massive warehouse estate say their houses have become unsellable.
Locals living metres from the “monstrous” 350,000 sq ft building constructed just months ago claim they were “hoodwinked” by the council.
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A massive warehouse has been build at the back of an estate in Tyldesley, Wigan Credit: STEVE ALLEN
The huge warehouse looms over a number of homes Credit: STEVE ALLEN
The warehouse is five times the size of Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium Credit: STEVE ALLEN
Residents’ back gardens now have shadows cast over them by the building Credit: STEVE ALLEN
The colossal 60ft structures were first put up last year as part of a vast industrial site – five times the size of Manchester United‘s 74,000-seater Old Trafford stadium – comprising of four huge warehouses.
Furious residents in Tyldesley, Wigan, have since started an action group to campaign against the construction, which towers over their homes.
They say the industrial concrete hellscape on their doorsteps has cut out their natural light, brought noise pollution and caused atrocious flooding.
One local said the “cruise liner” warehouses had decimated his house value, making it essentially unsellable.
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Locals have compared it to a “cruise liner” at the back of their homes Credit: STEVE ALLEN
Jackie Peters, Patricia Court, Helen Halbous, Steve Retford and Carol Retford have all complained about the new warehouse Credit: STEVE ALLEN
An overhead view of the site in Tyldesley, Wigan Credit: STEVE ALLEN
Residents are now seeking compensation following the completion of the build Credit: STEVE ALLEN
Now, irate members of the group have come out to criticise the council’s failure to engage with their concerns, saying they have been treated with “utter contempt”.
An independent audit commissioned by the council found that residents were given “no meaningful opportunity” to engage with proposals before a planning application was submitted.
It further characterised the developer PLP’s pre-application consultation process as “wholly inadequate”.
Video footage over the winter showed the surrounding area flooded in feet of muddy water.
Clips showed parents forced to carry children on their backs while trudging through knee-high flooded paths on the way to school.
Now, locals are dreading the industrial park’s first tenants – logistics company Whistl, set to begin 24/7 operations there from June.
The firm wants to keep up to 60 HGVs and 95 trailers at the site, which locals fear will only lead to more disruption throughout the night.
Former police officer Steve Retford, 70, told The Jattvibe: “The HGVs will park up on just the other side of the fence that faces my back garden, so I’ll be able to hear them all hours of the day.”
He added the huge steel structure “is like a cruise ship has docked in my back garden”.
“They should never have been built so close to people’s homes. But the council have treated us with utter contempt.”
Whistl said it is keen to do everything it can to be a good neighbour, and added the commercial vehicle parking area backs on to an existing commercial yard.
Another resident, Jackie Peters, 70, agreed she had not been aware of the intended use for the site before it was built, and worried about the impact of nighttime operations.
“We were told it was going to be a 9 to 5 business estate not a 24-hour industrial estate, and not all the residents received details of the plans,” she told The Jattvibe.
“We feel the council played a dirty trick on us.”
The residents said they are essentially trapped in the shadow of the looming warehouses as their homes have become all but unsellable.
Once backing onto lush green fields and farmland, the grey, industrial outlook of the homes now makes them unappealing to potential buyers.
“One neighbour has seen two sales fall through because the buyers have pulled out,” said Helen Halbous, 47.
“Who wants to live next door to a huge warehouse? I feel the whole community has been hoodwinked by the council.”
David Gerrard, 46, estimated his house, one of the bigger ones in the area, has declined in value by at least £100,000 as a result of the warehouses.
“Where my house is positioned is horrendous. If you sit in my back garden it’s like sitting in Trafford Park industrial estate,” he said.
“I’ve gone from green fields to an industrial estate.”
For residents like David, the development has ruined their plans for the future.
As a bricklayer, he had invested in the property as a future retirement fund, planning to downsize after his three daughters moved out and use the money to finance his later years with wife Jo.
Homes within the estate are now overshadowed Credit: STEVE ALLEN
Steve Retford with the warehouse in the background Credit: STEVE ALLEN
He said: “Now the council have taken that away from me.
“It’s a huge financial strain, it really is. I’m quite a composed person.
“I’m quite involved with what’s going on and try to fight for it but there’s a lot of residents that are really, really suffering.”
Now that the warehouses are up, the residents are having to accept that they will likely never be torn down, as they wish.
Instead, the furious residents are now looking into compensation for the development which has upended their lives.
David, one of the founding members of the Astley Warehouse Action Group, explained: “Unfortunately it’s not a straightforward route, but we have got a legal team and we are exploring as many avenues as we can.
“It’s obviously a very complex case and one of a kind, really, where residents have actually stood up to the council with such veracity and actually made an impact.”
Residents in some of the older houses may be able to make compensation claims based on the right to light, as the warehouses have blocked much of the natural light into nearby homes.
But for David, who only moved into his home in 2019, this is not an option.
The residents are looking into other legal avenues for compensation, but for now, he said the development has caused “huge financial strain”.
He added that residents feel betrayed and ignored by the council.
“They never even came out and looked at the site before they passed the plans,” he said.
“The council haven’t made anything clear because they won’t talk to us. There’s just absolutely zero accountability for anything.”
Steve, the former police officer, added: “We would like the warehouses pulled down but we don’t think that’s going to happen.
“But we’d like compensation for all the problems they have caused and we’re getting ongoing legal advice.
“Everybody feels a colossal sense of injustice.”
Wigan Council has always maintained that the planning permission was granted in line with national and local legislation.
And the independent audit found “no evidence of wrongdoing or improper conduct”.
A Wigan Council spokesperson said: “The site was identified for industrial development 20 years ago, and planning permission was granted in line with national planning policy. There is a clear window after a decision is made for it to be challenged, but this did not occur.
“In recognition of public concern, the council commissioned an independent audit, which confirmed that the correct planning process was followed in full, including consultation. This information has been shared with relevant parties and published.
“The council remains committed to constructive engagement and has been in contact with the action group throughout.”
A PLP spokesperson said: “PLP recognises that there has been local concern around the Astley development and we take that very seriously.
“Throughout the development process, we have worked with Wigan Council and development partners to minimise impacts and deliver a scheme that is in full accordance with the planning consent, which will create jobs and training opportunities in the local area.
“The development was approved by Wigan Council in accordance with local and national planning policy.
“The approach to public engagement was agreed in advance with the Council and included an information letter about the scheme, sent to approximately 200 nearby residents to raise awareness of the proposals.
“PLP was open to receiving feedback from residents and we also met with local councillors to discuss the proposals in detail.”
She added that PLP were committed to delivering a development that benefits the wider area and delivers jobs and investment and it would “work closely” with stakeholders to ensure the site was well-managed.
A Whistl spokesperson said: “We have been in constructive dialogue with the residents’ association and have shared detailed information about our plans to relocate to the site, as well as the measures we will take to operate responsibly within the business park and these discussions continue.
“We appreciate the strength of feeling amongst the community and would like to take this opportunity to reassure everyone that we will do everything we can to be a good neighbour.”
