Yet another appalling idea - "it's obviously wasteland so let's concrete it all over". Remember Joni Mitchell's song "Big Yellow Taxi" ?
The current Govt is making some stupid decisions regarding conservation. This is plain wrong & immoral. Far better would be to develop low-rise apartment blocks (to modern standards, as done throughout Europe) reusing existing land - far more efficient use of space, better for the less well-off, though less profit for the builders
The flashes exist because of coal subsidence. Surely they're not allowed to build there? I thought there's a minimum distance (1km ?) from coal workings
There are plans to develop Westwood Park on Wigan Flashes for mixed use development including 420 houses. This would be part of local plan.
This would destroy part of the Flashes SBI, and degrade the NNR. The land is also within LNRS for Greater Manchester which is of strategic importance for wildlife. The map shows most of the site is recommended for habitat enhancements within LNRS. As much of the habitat is already Priority habitat and within SBI this goes against policy.
The deadline for consultation on Local Plan is 21st October:
www.wigan.gov.uk/futurewigan
If anyone visits this area, more wildlife records would be welcome to submit via gmlrc.org/wildlife_recording
If anyone wants to meet up to do some wildlife recording my number is 0775994500
