MORE detailed plans have been submitted for a major employment site where there was once an open cast mine, near Junction 25 of the M6 at Wigan have been tabled.

Under the proposals, existing public rights of way (PROW) would be ‘extinguished’ and replace with new routes – including a three-metre wide bridleway.

The plans – known as a reserved matters planning application – for the 1.1m sq ft ‘Symmetry Park’ include the clearance of the land and the construction of a road along with a shared pedestrian footpath and cycleway.

Applicant Tritax Symmetry (Wigan) Ltd wants to make the site ‘oven ready’ for development so it can ‘quickly respond to occupier interest in competitive regional market’.

Property company CBRE, acting for Tritax, say there will be further applications for built development at the site. 

The Symmetry Park siteThe Symmetry Park site (Image: Wigan Council) A covering letter on Wigan Council’s planning portal said: “With response to the public rights of way (PRoW) network within and immediately adjoining the site, the submitted plans show the intention to extinguish existing PRoWs which run through the centre of the site and create new ones with a three-metre bridle way specification.” 

It said that the new PRoWs would be screened by planting and ‘bunding’ [a way of shielding from water] from the main development site.

Closure and creation orders are also required over the PRoWs, it said.

Planning applications or the demolition of existing buildings and development of the logistics site was approved in 2021 by the Secretary of State following a public inquiry. 

It was for the erection of 1.1m sq ft employment space, a sub-station, car parking, access from the A49 roundabout and internal estate road.