A FOUR-BEDROOM house has been given the go ahead to be built in an Atherton woodland after a planning row over septic tanks, flooding and loss of trees.

The detached dwelling in Martlew Drive already had planning permission in place, but it expired as after four years, no work had taken place on site.

Building the new house will mean chopping down some trees on the land.

Some neighbours objected to the plans saying the new house would increase the risk of flooding in the area where the Hindsford Brook runs.

Robert Barnes who lives in Shakerley Lane, spoke on behalf of residents opposed to the application at the planning committee meeting on Tuesday.

He said: “The land in question has never been developed for residential purposes and in living memory has always been a wild natural habitat area.

“The current land is a natural soakaway which allows rainwater to slowly trickle into the Hinsford Brook.

“Removal of this soakaway will cause rainwater to run faster into the stream.

“The stream has caused flooding to residents’ gardens before and is currently flooded now.”

Mr Barnes also had “significant” road safety concerns for dog walkers and families using Shakerley Lane, which has no pavement, to visit Cutacre Park .

Leigh Journal:

The woodland

But Wigan Council principal planning officer Dave Rawsthorne assured the committee that the local authority’s drainage engineer is satisfied that the new house would not cause flooding to neighbouring properties.

He also said the trees and woodlands officer is satisfied that the development can be accommodated without detriment to the trees that are to be retained. 

Questions were raised over large vehicles accessing the property to empty a septic tank at the property – Mr Barnes claimed this would block the drive.

But Mr Rawsthorne explained that the property will not use a septic tank.

He said: “It’s a waste treatment plant. It actually filters the fluid in the tank, there’s a bacterial layer in the basement of the tank and the water, I’m reliably informed, you could drink as a glass of water and it goes into Hindsford Brook.

“There are five dwellings at the moment on Martlew Drive. If they have septic tanks, they need to be removed from their driveways on a vehicle. I don’t see any significant increase in vehicle movements from one additional dwelling.”

The committee voted in favour of the plans by a margin of 13 votes to 1 on Tuesday, with only councillor Stuart Gerrard voting against the application.

Cllr Janice Sharratt explained why she supported the application.

She said:  “I remember this application very well. I went on the site visit and everything.

“To me, nothing really is significant to refuse it. I think we found it fine in 2016, and I don’t see any reason now not to pass this. So I’m in favour of it.”