Wigan ‘Cruise ship’ warehouse consultation with residents branded ‘wholly inadequate’
An independent audit into the approval of four ‘cruise liner’ warehouses says residents were given ‘no meaningful opportunity’ to engage with the proposals before a planning application was submitted
An independent audit into the approval of four ‘cruise liner’ warehouses says residents were given ‘no meaningful opportunity’ to engage with the proposals before a planning application was submitted.
The audit, completed in December, was commissioned by Wigan council and undertaken by POS Enterprises following numerous complaints from residents during construction of the buildings at Astley Business Park in the Tyldesley area.
Many of those living close to the development have say they have been blighted since construction of the logistics warehouses began last year.
Last month, residents blamed ‘atrocious’ flooding, which inundated a path to a school, on work at the construction site.
Other neighbours, some of whom have gardens just 30 metres from the 350,000 sq ft logistics site, criticised the huge scale and appearance of the ‘towering warehouses’.
Many said the the appearance enormous steel structures, which rise 60 ft into the air close to homes, resemble ‘cruise ships’.
Numerous other complaints have been received by Wigan council about noise and dust associated with the construction phase.
The report, into the decision leading up to the approval of the Astley Park Way warehouse development, criticises pre-application engagement by developer PLP, saying ‘consultation with local residents was wholly inadequate’.
The scope of the audit has faced criticism from campaigners as its terms of reference excluded any review of the planning merits or reconsideration of the decision to approve the development.
It was limited to examining whether the planning process complied with planning law and procedure. Campaign group Astley Warehouses Action Group, representatives of which were interviewed during the audit, said the findings echo concerns they had raised, including the absence of meaningful early engagement with affected households and the failure to consult more widely.
Wigan council said the audit concluded that planning permission was granted in line with national and local legislation and procedures and that all members of the committee were fully briefed and trained.
The report, titled Independent Audit of Decision Making – Land at Astley Park Way – states that ‘a broader consultation including additional properties which have a view of the development would have been appropriate’.
In November, The Astley Warehouse Action Group marched into Wigan to demand that work on building four warehouses, towering 60ft high over hundreds of homes in the area, be paused.
The development itself is described in the audit report as having ‘proved extremely controversial locally, particularly when the full extent of the buildings permitted has become apparent during construction’.
A spokesperson for the Astley Warehouses Action Group said: “Given how tightly restricted the scope of this audit was, residents are entitled to question whether commissioning it represented good value for taxpayers’ money.
“Despite those limits, it still identifies serious failings in consultation and transparency. We will continue to seek accountability and clear answers on how this development was handled and on the issues residents are still living with as a result.”
A spokesperson for Wigan council, said: “This land has been designated for warehousing development since 2006. As part of the planning process, Wigan council carried out a statutory consultation.
“In total, 96 individual objections were received. Every objection was made available for planning committee members to view, and the issues raised were set out in the officer’s report, to ensure members could make an informed decision.
“Following approval, there was a six week window in which anyone objecting could seek a legal challenge of the decision. No challenge was made during this period. It was only in spring 2025, when the site was under construction, that complaints about the development began to be raised.
“Since then, we have worked closely with residents and the developer to address concerns and respond to complaints. To provide further reassurance and transparency, we commissioned an independent audit of the planning process.
“The independent report confirms that the planning permission granted in 2024 is consistent with national policy and legal frameworks.”
Last month, campaigners claimed issues caused by the construction of the logistics building caused flooding of a pathway to a primary school and to gardens of neighbouring homes.
The Astley Business Park Residents group filmed parents wading through water to get to Garrett Hall Primary School, next to where the four warehouses are being put up.
They said water had also inundated the back garden of three homes on Tanhouse Avenue.
The developer of the warehouses is logistics specialist PLP and the constructors are TanRo. The first business to take a lease at one of the warehouses is Whistl.
PLP has not responded to requests for comment.