RESIDENTS living meters away from “monster” 60ft high steel walls have said they are frustrated by the gigantic “surreal” structures dwarfing their homes.
The colossal structures loom over the houses next to them and are part of a planned 350,000 sq ft industrial site with four vast warehouses.
The residents will meet Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham after new photos emerged showing the scale of the enormous warehouses, and their proximity to the locals’ homes.
The images reveal how the dominating 60ft walls are mere metres from the backdoors of the residents in Tyldesley, Wigan.
Local residents say the scale of the project, from developer PLP, was not disclosed in the initial designs.
John Peters, 71, has lived on the estate since 1978 and he said he was stunned when the size of the “huge monster walls” became clear.
“A few weeks ago, they were just steel structures and you could see the light coming through the frames.
“But now the walls are up, there’s this strange effect, particularly at night, where our house is silhouetted by an 18m-high black wall. It looks surreal.”
Mr Peters previously said: “The enormity of the thing just strikes you. It shouldn’t be there.”
He added that the structures had dampened his dreams of a peaceful retirement.
He hopes the upcoming meeting with the Manchester Mayor will bring about action, but he is concerned that landscaping measures will be the focus and not the actual appearances of the warehouses.
Mr Peters said many of his fellow residents felt blindsided by the mammoth project and some whose homes back onto the project didn’t receive any notice.
He said: “A letter was sent out to 90 residents, but I don’t know how they selected those residents because some of the people who back onto the site didn’t get anything.
“It was just completely random.”
Paula Boardman, 47, agreed and added that whilst she knew of the plan, “we thought it was going to be a lot smaller”.
“It’s like a cruise ship at the back of our garden. Even if we wanted to move, I think the value of the house has gone down,” she said.
Steve Retford, 69, said since the building, he no longer sits in his garden because of the looming structure that stands just 30m away.
The retired police officer added: “It’s just dreadful. We feel this sense of injustice.
“I don’t profess to be a planning expert, but when you look at the sheer enormity of this, it’s not right.
“It must have taken tens of thousands of pounds off the value of our houses. Every time I think about it, I feel sick.”
Aidan Thatcher, Wigan Council’s director for place previously said the plans went through the proper processes and will have “landscaping” to “soften the appearance”.
The residents said the meeting with Manchester‘s Mayor on Thursday is a “major event” and a chance for them to demand action over the structures.
The plans submitted to Wigan Council reveal that two of the 140,000sq ft units are allowed to reach up to 60ft.
One of the four warehouses has been snapped up by delivery giant Whistl on a long-term lease.
PLP was approached for comment.
