Warehouse scheme will 'tower over our homes'
Families say scaled back plans for homes and "giant" warehouses on farmland will "dwarf" the community.
**Warehouse Project Will 'Tower Over Our Homes,' Say Residents**
A community group is voicing strong opposition to revised plans for housing and "giant" warehouses on Greater Manchester farmland, arguing the scaled-back proposal remains "still too much" and will "dwarf" the existing community.
Developer Peel Land has initiated a second consultation regarding its plans for approximately 500 homes and an industrial estate situated on agricultural land between Atherton and Westhoughton.
Amanda Coleman, chairwoman of the Gibfield Preservation Group, stated, "These are going to be giant warehouses which are going to dwarf and tower over our homes."
Peel Land responded by saying, "Careful consideration has been given to the relationship between the new development and existing homes, including a substantial green corridor and planting to screen views."
The proposed development includes an industrial estate located between Gibfield Park Way and Schofield Lane in Atherton. Residents have drawn comparisons between the Gibfield Park scheme and the warehouses recently constructed at the Astley Business Park development, roughly four miles away.
Coleman, 55, commented, "This is going to be metres from the back of our house but its not the distance - its more the height of these warehouses. They will be built on a hill, so they will be the height of the Astley warehouses."
According to the Gibfield Park consultation document, the tallest buildings will not exceed 12.5 meters (41 ft) in height, and the warehouses will be positioned at least 65 meters from the rear of properties on Schofield Lane. In contrast, the warehouses in Astley, completed by logistics and industrial property firm PLP in January 2026, reach heights of up to 18 meters. Peel Group, which owns property development firm Peel Land, holds a minority stake in PLP, which operates as an independent entity.
Local residents contend that the warehouses will loom over homes on Schofield Lane in Atherton.
Peel Land launched an initial consultation on the scheme earlier this year and has now commenced a second consultation featuring scaled-down proposals. While the number of proposed homes for the site remains at 500, the amount of industrial space, located on land currently used for grazing horses off Gibfield Park Way, has been reduced by approximately a quarter.
John Hinckley, 69, who resides next to the planned development on Schofield Road, remarked, "We moved here ten years ago specifically for the semi-rural feel, so the impact will be pretty substantial and its probably going to mean that we will move house."
The placement of homes and employment space at the Gibfield Park site was determined through the Greater Manchester Places for Everyone plan, following multiple stages of public consultation conducted between 2016 and 2024. The first phase of the development includes plans for 170 new homes, with a quarter of these designated as affordable housing. The scheme also incorporates a country park.
Leigh MP Jo Platt expressed concerns, stating, "I do not believe the road network and wider infrastructure are in place to accommodate a development of this scale. I am also concerned about the loss of green space that forms part of these proposals."
Peel Land reiterated, "Gibfield Park is a strategic allocation, identified to meet Wigan and Greater Manchester's needs for new jobs and homes."
The extension of Gibfield Park Way is intended to form part of a longer route connecting Junction 26 of the M6 and Junction 5 of the M61, near the Chequerbent roundabout. This 8.5-mile (13.6 km) route is being delivered in stages and will traverse former colliery spoil heaps, mine shafts, and open farmland south of Wigan.
During the initial consultation, some local residents raised concerns regarding traffic levels on nearby roads, disruption from construction, and the impact on wildlife.
Joan Higson, from Atherton, commented, "When I was working, I used to have to set off an hour earlier for a 15-minute journey and the traffic has got even worse now. Its all going to be a concrete jungle and who wants that." Much of the land off Gibfield Park Way in Atherton is currently used for grazing horses.
The consultation on the revised plans will continue until September 1. Peel Land is expected to submit a planning application next year, and if approved by Wigan Council, construction is anticipated to commence in 2028.
Other local concerns include the impact on horse riding opportunities and existing traffic congestion.