RESIDENTS have had their say on plans on plans to build 1,700 homes.

Home builder Countryside invited people to discuss the 175-acre North Leigh Park site off Nel Pan Lane at a drop-in event at Leigh Sports Village.

Around 150 were at the event to hear about the plans from the developer's experts and gain their feedback.

Countryside, which bought the land from North Leigh Park Group Limited (NLPGL) last year, is set to submit its first planning applications for the scheme to Wigan Council in the coming weeks.

This will consist of around 550 mixed tenure homes including open market housing, affordable housing (for rent and shared ownership) and private rent.

The applications will also seek permission to build a new district centre.

Regional operations director of Countryside, John Grealis, said: “We were very pleased with the attendance of the event and have gained valuable feedback from local residents and councillors regarding our plans.

"This is a 10-year project so it is vital that we build and maintain a good relationship with the local community, engaging with them throughout the whole process in a meaningful way."

Countryside, which has been working in partnership with the local authority on the proposals, also wants to retain green space within the development.

It will invest around £1m in a section of a new planned link road between junction 26 of the M6 and junction 5 of the M61 as well.

The previous landowner of North Leigh Park, NLPGL, was one of several companies owned by Guernsey-based Long Port Properties Ltd which went into administration in 2016.

Deloitte was appointed as administrators in December 2016 before appointing a sales team from CBRE, which sold the land to Countryside last year.

The latest plans and information from the exhibition can be viewed and downloaded here.