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Parents had to piggy-back their children through an ankle-deep flooded path that they say has been caused by four ‘monstrous’ 60ft tall warehouses.
Mothers and fathers filmed themselves during the morning school run wading through the muddy water near to the controversial Astley business park in Tyldesley, Wigan.
One mother can be seen pushing a pram with one hand while carrying her child under the other arm, with another parent high-stepping as they piggy-back their son to Garrett Hall Primary School.
They have blamed the construction of four mammoth 60ft tall warehouses in the shadow of their homes for flooding the pathway.
Now, Wigan Council has told them developers have promised to build a ditch along the path in a bid to stop the flooding.
In an email sent to a residents’ action group, which has been posted on Instagram, the council said the work would take place ‘without delay’, but only when ‘the weather permits’.
The development has caused anger with neighbours previously comparing the huge structures to ‘cruise liners’ towering over their homes and blocking sunlight.
Astley Warehouse Action Group said it had been messaging the council for weeks about the flooding before the local authority finally sent them ‘a plan’.
In an email, Wigan Council told the group council officers had met with the developers of the warehouse who had agreed to build a ‘drainage channel running along the length of the path’ and ‘the garden boundaries’.
‘They have committed to undertake this work without delay, as soon as weather permits this week,’ the council states.
‘Our officers have agreed with the developer that we will monitor the situation following this intervention, to establish whether the solution achieves the desired result in periods of heavy rain.
‘We are hopeful that the solution will address the issue, but if it does not then the council has made clear that a fuller investigation will be needed.’
A Wigan Council spokesperson said: ‘Following a meeting on Monday with the developer and site manager, it has been agreed that a drainage channel will be dug along the length of the path, and the garden boundaries.
‘This work will take place immediately, as soon as weather permits this week.
‘We are confident this measure will address the issue, however the situation will be kept under regular monitoring by council officers and the developer.’
Locals have claimed that the new development has been signed off without proper ‘surface water plans’, and families fear that heavy downpours could send floodwater into their homes.
Last week Wigan Council ignored a 10,000-strong signature petition and ruled out halting building works.
The grey giants are owned by giant landowner Peel Land and Property (PLP).
Ian Southwell, 60, has been left worried the water will soon pour into his £550,000 five-bedroom, detached home.
He said: ‘The flooding started about four weeks ago. Now, it’s the worst it has ever been.
‘I have to wear wellies to go in the garden. I’d say the water is about 1.5ft deep. I’m worried to death about it reaching the house, I can’t sleep at night.
‘As soon as I hear rain, I think about it coming up to the back door and into the house. Before the warehouses, we didn’t have this flooding whatsoever.’
It has meant parts of his garden are now unusable amid rising water, he said.
Ian lives with his wife Maxine and two of their daughters in the shadow of one of the huge warehouses.
He added: ‘My garden is totally flooded at the bottom, it has killed off all my plants.
‘The back gate is rotten, so that needs replacing – and I’m probably going to need a new fence.
‘I’ve got lights in the garden and they’re actually submerged now, so I’ve had to turn them all off.’
Pictures show gardens transformed into murky pools, with brown water lapping against fence posts and swallowing lawns.
In several images, grass vanishes beneath inches of water, turning gardens into swamps.
Paths leading up to a nearby school also flooded for the first time, with parents having to ‘carry their kids’ over the floodwater on some walkways.
Residents insisted flooding was never an issue until construction began on the 350,000 sq ft industrial site – which has already leased one of the units to delivery giant Whistl on a long-term basis.
After complaining to Wigan Council about flooding, residents said they were told that the areas affected did not ‘form part of council’s adopted highway’, so the authority was not responsible.
It comes despite families saying they are ‘scared to go into their gardens’ in case the surface water issues cause any larger problems with sink holes.
Dave Gerrard, 46, has lived on the estate since 2019 and claimed flooding has made the bottom part of his garden unusable.
He said: ‘There’s a gate that I used to take the dog out onto the field – and it’s completely underwater now.
‘The water comes right over onto my patio area. In a couple of years, my whole fence will have rotted away.
‘I’m already thinking it’s going to cost me a lot of money.’
Dave, a builder of 30 years, added: ‘We’ve told Wigan Council that there has been a breach of planning rules, because there needs to be proper drainage in place.
‘But they’ve just ignored us as usual. We told them that the flooding was going to happen – it’s not come as a surprise.’
The flooding has also left families fearing the impact on house prices – adding to anger over the size and scale of the warehouses themselves, which they say they were never properly warned about during the planning process.
The Astley Warehouse Action Group, which has thousands of followers on social media, claim that revised planning drawings and water-management changes were never properly consulted on.
Wigan Council has already rejected a 10,000-signature petition demanding work be paused, saying no breach of planning control had occurred.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has previously met and discussed plans with residents.
They noted he was ‘sympathetic’ to their concerns but was limited in power.
Their demands follow Councillor James Fish quitting Wigan Council’s planning committee after being the only councillor to vote against the original warehouse plans.
He has also claimed his colleagues have admitted behind close doors, they ‘didn’t release how tall’ the buildings would be.
Other families in the area are questioning whether or not to stay and are concerned about the structures’ impact on property values.
The authority has been approached for further comment.
A spokesperson for PLP said the firm would not be commenting.
Read more
- Why did Wigan Council ignore a massive 10,000-strong petition against the ‘monstrous’ warehouses, leaving residents furious and demanding answers?
- How has a ‘stadium-size’ warehouse in Pilning left residents fuming and feeling powerless against historic planning laws?
- Why are residents up in arms about a newly constructed giant building in Wigan?
- Why are furious residents claiming they were blindsided by Birmingham Council’s approval of the towering Wing Wip warehouse without proper consultation?
- How did an embarrassing council blunder lead to a nightmare of towering warehouses for Corby residents?
