Over the coming months, the makeup of a small suburb of Greater Manchester on the border between Wigan and Salford could become drastically different.
Mosley Common is subject to three planning applications, that if approved, could see 1,155 new homes built in the area. The majority of those houses would come from a vision for a new neighbourhood masterminded by developing giant Peel L&P with applications for 202 homes south of the Leigh Guided Busway and another 848 north of the transport link.
The other 105 homes could be built just down Mosley Common Road behind Parrs Bridge retail park - an extension of the 154-home site already in place from Bellway Homes.
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Thousands of locals are up in arms about the level of investment into housing being touted for the area they deem ‘already at breaking point’. At peak times, the traffic has been scorned by nearby residents - leading to arguments that the area is already at capacity and better road infrastructure needs to be in place before any more building goes on.
Coun James Paul Watson has been an avid objector to the amount of housing developments being approved in the area around his ward of Atherton. The Independent Network representative bemoaned the lack of investment into road networks, education and health facilities in Atherton and Tyldesley.
Coun Watson explained at the Confident Places Scrutiny committee back in February 2023 that section 106 money (financial contributions from developers) should be spent in the area in order to cope with these big changes in population. Despite numerous concerns, Peel L&P have expressed they are planning investment into the road network and have targeted specific junctions where traffic builds in order to help alleviate congestion.
The 1,050-home ‘vision’ for the green space north of Mosley Common
Although submitted as two separate planning applications, the Peel L&P masterplan for housing sites above and below the guided busway line is arguably the more controversial proposal in the area. The proposal - originally for 1,100 homes - was green lit by Wigan Council in September 2022, but has been subject of a rejected petition signed by more than 3,000 people urging the council to rethink their position.
Currently the green belt land north of Mosley Common is used as grazing space for farm animals and agriculture. Sitting on the border of Wigan and Salford, this would be one of the key developments included in the Places For Everyone - a Greater Manchester wide plan which has been submitted to the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Peel L&P is seeking to build a new community submerged within biodiverse green space. The developer has ambitions to include sports and play facilities as well as a new green corridor to bring 'ecological improvements' to the area with an extensive new parkland including three new parks.
According to the design and access statement, at the heart of the proposals for the Land North of Mosley Common is the 'vision to create truly distinctive neighbourhoods which offer a wide range of new homes to meet the needs of different sectors of the community and for all stages of life'. The different areas of the site will include: Mosley Woods, Bridgewater Village, Tyldesley Fields, Honksford Meadows, Platts Fold Fields and Mosley Village.
As well as 25 per cent affordable homes, there are plans for a new transport hub in partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester to improve connectivity and active travel via the Leigh Guided Busway and commuter routes. As part of the 1,050-home proposal, 202 homes planned for ‘Twire’ below the transport hub are suitable for first time buyers, families, older people with additional care needs and those looking to downsize.
There would also be a specially designed accessible home for families with dependent relatives and around 200 jobs will also be created during the construction of the new homes, Peel L&P claim.
Charlotte Rosser, Senior Development Manager at Peel L&P said: “Since we launched our first public consultation in March 2022, we have been working closely with Wigan Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and the local community to help shape the proposals for Mosley Common. Our proposals will respond to local priorities in a number of ways. Firstly, the delivery of 1,050 much needed new homes to suit a range of needs, 25 per cent of which will be affordable, will help to address the housing shortage in Wigan.
“In addition to the provision of new homes, residents will also be within walking distance of a new busway stop and travel hub on the Leigh Guided Busway and a network of footpaths and cycleways, improving access to the surrounding area including local town centres and Walkden train station. The scheme features a new destination parkland, providing opportunities for ecological improvements and recreation, and connecting people to nature.
“The development also proposes land and funding for the expansion of St John’s Primary School, a new community and travel hub next to the new busway stop and improvements to local road junctions. The first phase of development, which has been submitted to Wigan Council alongside our application for the wider site, includes 228 high quality and sustainable homes and will be delivered by Peel L&P’s award-winning home builder, Northstone.
“The work we have done shows that the Mosley Common proposals will deliver major benefits for the area, whilst the work done over many years on Places for Everyone shows that the area is the right place to help meet this need, with the site having been earmarked for potential future development since 2016. We look forward to continuing to work with Wigan Council, TfGM and other partners on our vision for the site and await the determination of our planning applications.”
105-home development behind Parr Bridge Retail Park
Over at Parr Bridge Retail Park, which hosts a wealth of businesses including a Starbucks, a Lidl and a nursery, 105-homes could be on the cards for the next stage of the site’s redevelopment. Despite being deemed by locals as the lesser of two evils when compared to the 1,050 home site down the road, all the same issues and concerns remain for residents.
The detached, semi-detached and mews style homes would sit behind the Mosley Common Road based business park off Silk Mill Street - which is green belt land. Some local objectors have said they believe developers are jumping the gun as the land has not yet been released under Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Places for Everyone plan - which is currently under review.
This particular site would add on to the neighbouring development of 154-homes which was brought in at an earlier stage of the project to revitalise the site which sits between Mosley Common and Tyldesley town centre.
Although no proposals from the developer have included any money towards local schools or doctors to increase capacity, there are 26 affordable homes lined up to be included in the project. There would be 21 two-bed homes and five three-bed homes constructed as affordable homes.
How the applications will be decided
It is expected that over Summer and the beginning of Autumn these applications should be brought before the Planning Committee, due to the sheer number of objectors on each application. Committee members will look over the planning documents and scrutinise the benefits and drawbacks of each application before coming to a vote whether to approve or refuse.
In the scenario of a refusal, the committee must give a reason relating to planning law as to why it should not be approved. This could potentially lead to developers seeking an appeal through the Planning Inspectorate, whose decision is final.
If the applications are given the thumbs up by the committee, it means thousands of new residents could come into the area over the course of the next few years.
