Andy Burnham steps into ‘cruise liner’ warehouses row

Andy Burnham has stepped into the row over the controversial ‘cruise liner’ warehouses which have angered hundreds of residents in Tydesley.

The Greater Manchester metro mayor yesterday (Monday September 22) hosted an online meeting with local councillors who have been engaging with the newly-formed protest organisation Astley Business Park Residents Action Group, which now has nearly 2,000 members.

At the meeting with Mr Burnham were Couns James Fish, Christine Roberts, Barry Taylor and Jess Eastoe.

Mr Burnham has not commented on the meeting, but Coun Fish told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The mayor wanted to understand the process and how the decision by Wigan’s planning committee to allow the development of four 60ft warehouses right next to hundreds of houses was made.”

He said that planning documents relating to the decision were being forwarded to Mr Burnham from Worsley and Eccles MP Michael Wheeler’s office. The warehouses and housing are in Mr Wheeler’s constituency.

Coun Fish added: “Mr Burnham said he would come back to us to say if his authority could actually do anything. He said he didn’t want to make promises he couldn’t keep.”

Meanwhile, the protest group has engaged a law firm to examine the legality of the original planning decision and a GoFundMe appeal has raised more than £6,000 to help finance the move.

One post on the site says: “My name is Dawn Hornby and I currently live with the monstrosity of the cruise ship virtually in my back garden.

“We need help. The warehouses will stand 18 metres high (60ft), towering over two-storey homes and Garrett Hall Primary School.

“They Wigan council have approved 24/7 operations, meaning nighttime noise, diesel HGVs, light pollution and disrupted sleep.

“Local residents submitted more than 100 objections, but the planning committee recorded only 70. Concerns were dismissed and the development was waved through.

“Many residents were never properly consulted, with searches during housing purchases failing to reveal the true scale of what was planned.

“Already, people are reporting cracks in homes, falling property values, mental health impacts and sleepless nights”.

Plans submitted by logistics company PLP for what will be known as Astley Business Park were approved by Wigan’s planning committee in June 2024.

While Peel Group retains a minority investment in PLP, it operates as a stand-alone entity. Peel Waters sold the land to PLP and has no involvement in the planning application or the current proposals for the site.

PLP has declined to comment, or answer six key questions the LDRS posed to the company recently. They were:

What is PLP’s response to the contention of local residents that the development of the warehouses so close to the surrounding housing is making their homes impossible to sell?

Would PLP be willing to reduce the height of the warehouses, bearing in mind the public outcry over the development?

Would PLP be willing to financially compensate residents whose homes have lost thousands of pounds in value?

Would PLP be willing to meet residents, local councillors and the local MP Michael Wheeler to discuss ways to mitigate the effects of the development?

Would PLP be willing to stop construction work immediately in the light of the above-mentioned public outcry?

What is your response to a joint statement from local councillors Jess Eastoe, Joanne Marshall, Barry Taylor, Christine Roberts and Paula Wakefield which reads as follows: ‘PLP have once again pushed through a development by exploiting their extensive experience with planning laws. Time and again they ignore the voices of residents, and sadly, the planning system lets them get away with it. PLP appear not to have considered residents’ concerns and the planning system has failed to address the issue. The council should be working with residents, not against them. Residents deserve respect, transparency, and genuine partnership – not to be belittled or dismissed. No support has been offered for damage to homes. We will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our community, demanding answers and fighting for fairness.”

Aiden Thatcher, Wigan’s director of planning has said: “This planning application went through our planning consultation and committee process.

“The final plans include landscaping which will help screen and soften the appearance and mitigate the impact on nearby properties.

“We will continue to monitor the site throughout the construction, ensuring this development bringing new jobs and investment into the area is delivered properly.”