PLANS have been submitted to build 2,000 homes, a primary school and 12 hectares of employment land.

The mixed-used application concerns brown land to the south of Hindley between Leigh Road and Liverpool Road with a link road included in the proposals to connect the two roads.

The plans for the 122-hectare site, which have been issued by Wigan Council and Peel Land and Property, also features a small neighbourhood centre, sports pitches and open space.

Ground investigation work started last year to check for contaminants such as asbestos and the local authority has decided it is safe to go ahead with the development.

A Wigan Council spokesperson, said: “This planning application includes extensive supporting information, such as reports of additional ground investigations from the area, which were carried out in response to concerns raised by local members.

“These surveys were carried out in addition to previous ground investigations across the site and this work did not identify any particular concerns regarding asbestos contamination within the area.

“The proposals include a new link road from Liverpool Road to Leigh Road, which forms part of the wider east-west link across the borough, and is part of our current Housing Infrastructure Fund bid.”

The plans are set to be discussed by the council's planning committee in December.

Application documents estimate that the development will be completed in 2032.