The government has finally given Tritax Symmetry the go-ahead for its 1.4m sq ft industrial park in Wigan, as well as Harworth Group’s 1m sq ft Wingates scheme.
Tritax’s development was recommended for approval by Wigan Borough Council in January 2020, but was subsequently called in by the secretary of state alongside Wingates, which had been approved by Bolton Council.
The projects were called in on the back of concerns that both were located within green belt land.
However, the secretary of state has since decided “there is a demonstrable policy and market need for logistics floorspace on a regional, subregional and local level” in Wigan, outlining a “stark” need that “cannot be met through existing or other non-greenbelt sites”.
Where Harworth’s scheme is concerned, the secretary of state said the development would contribute “substantially to the supply of employment land evidently necessary to the economic recovery and wellbeing of Bolton”.
Harworth’s Wingates project involves demolishing existing buildings on the site in favour of industrial, storage and distribution and research and development uses, each with ancillary offices and food and drink areas.
Meanwhile, Tritax’s Symmetry Park Wigan represents a construction investment of £73m from the developer. It will pay £3m in business rates per year to Wigan Council once operational.
The scheme will be built on a former open-cast coal mine, which was an active colliery until the early 1980s.
Matt Claxton, planning director at Tritax Symmetry, said: “The decision to call in the scheme has inevitably caused delays and, given the strength of occupational demand, we will therefore press on immediately with the infrastructure works on site to enable us to commence speculative construction of phase one, comprising 300,000 sq ft and deliver prelets.”
Chris Argent, director of planning and development at CBRE Manchester, the planning consultant for the scheme, said: “Wigan now has a significant opportunity to capture occupier requirements and drive local economic growth.”
Tritax Symmetry’s application is also supported by AEW Architects, highways advice from Crofts, air quality consultant Redmore, ecology and arboriculture consultant TEP, noise and vibration consultant REC, landscape masterplanner Enzygo and archaeology by RSK.
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