'New homes will mean nowhere to ride our horses'

Horse riders, who describe their local green spaces as "awesome nature", have said they're "horrified" over plans for up to 2,000 homes and a new link road to be built in Wigan.

Property firm Peel Land wants to build houses on farmland alongside the South Hindley Link Road, which would be two miles long and connect Liverpool Road to Leigh Road.

Tracy Ellison, 48, who rides her horse Skye on the land, said: "I go out riding every single day and if we didn't have the access to open spaces, I couldn't have a horse".

Peel Land said in the application, which also includes a primary school and sports pitches, that the road would help relieve congestion.

"Without a horse I'd be stuck inside my house and the nature here - including wild deer - is awesome", Tracey, 48, from Goose Green said.

"If these homes get built, imagine the impact on these really, really bad roads."

The South Hindley Urban Village scheme also includes a children's playground and a district centre with shops.

In the planning application, Peel Land said the road would assist in relieving congestion, particularly along the A577 through Hindley and along Bickershaw Lane to the south.

The BBC has contacted Peel Land for further comment.

Carole Dunnington, from Platt Bridge, who has a horse called Jakey, said: "The freedom of being able to get out in the fresh air is just glorious and they'll be taking that away, which is so sad."

"Its a good therapy for me and it helps with my mental health", the 62 year-old added.

Josh Simons, Labour MP for Makerfield, said: "If the South Hindley link road is not funded, then I will not support that number of houses being built because there is already too much congestion and too much strain on green spaces in Wigan".

The South Hindley Link Road would form part of a longer route between Junction 26 of the M6 and Junction 5 of the M61, which has been talked about for decades.

The 8.5-mile route is being delivered in stages and would pass though former colliery spoil heaps, mine shafts and open farmland to the south of Wigan town centre.

Wigan Council has said the road would support the delivery of 17,258 homes, including at South Hindley, North Leigh Park, Gibfield Park, Hulton Park and Lee Hall.

Parts of the road have already been built including the A49 Link Road, which connects Warrington Road to Westwood Park. That opened in 2020.

In addition to the South Hindley scheme, a consultation has begun on plans for 1,500 homes and the North Leigh Park link road.

The proposed new route would be part of the wider M6-M61 connection and would link Leigh Road with Atherleigh Way.

The housing development, between Westleigh and Hindley Green, was granted outline planning permission in 2013 and 186 homes have already been built.

Developer for this part of the scheme, Vistry, said: "Our proposals will transform this former industrial site into a thriving new community of up to 1,500 mixed-tenure homes".

"We expect to invest £250m into the site and surrounding community, with 260 jobs a year created through the construction process alone," the firm added.

Commenting on the overall link road scheme, leader of Wigan Council, David Molyneux, said it would "provide better connectivity across the borough" and was "an essential component of the NorthFold growth location".

He said: "This vital link will improve residents' access to education, jobs, shopping and leisure while also reducing congestion, traffic noise, air pollution and road dangers on other busy routes."