Homes on former green belt set to be approved

The 99-home development is planned at Silk Street in Tyldesley

Plans for a 99-home development on land in Wigan which is no longer designated as green belt look set to be approved.

The Bellway Homes project is earmarked for eight acres of land at Silk Street in the Mosley Common area of Tyldesley.

Councillors on Wigan’s planning committee will be advised by officers to approve the scheme when they meet on Tuesday.

There have been objections from 109 households to the plans, citing infrastructure and price issues.

They were submitted after the Mosley Common land had its green belt designation removed in the Greater Manchester strategic planning document.

Approval of the scheme will be conditional on nearly £800,000 of contributions from the developer towards such areas as school places and transport.

In line with Wigan council’s planning policy, 25 of the homes will meet the designation "affordable".

Objectors to the scheme argue there are "more than enough houses" in the area and none of those proposed are "genuinely affordable.

There is no social housing provided, which objectors say is "what is needed".

They also say that the infrastructure in the area cannot cope with the current population and there are not enough doctors’ surgeries.

However, a report to the committee says that within a two-mile radius of the site, there are 19 GP facilities, all of which are accepting new patients.

The report concludes that the development is "considered acceptable when balanced with the identified housing need which the scheme will help to deliver".