Bolton Council has issued a decision regarding an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening request for a major industrial development planned for Dicconson Lane in Westhoughton. The site is a key component of the wider Wingates industrial estate scheme, an ambitious project aimed at establishing one of the North West’s premier employment hubs.
The proposal, submitted by developers Howarth Estates, involves the construction of significant warehousing and industrial facilities. The ultimate objective for the site is to deliver approximately 440,000 square metres of floorspace, which project backers estimate will create around 6,000 new jobs. The scheme is planned in four distinct stages, with the initial phase focusing on the creation of 73,750 square metres of employment space and the construction of a new access point from Chorley Road.
Following the submission of the EIA screening request on August 19, Bolton Council released its findings on September 15. The council determined that while the proposed development has the potential to impact the local environment and the surrounding community, it does not reach the threshold for “significant effects” as defined by current EIA regulations. The council noted that, provided the developer submits appropriate technical information during the formal planning application stage and adheres to strict conditional controls, the project may proceed through the standard planning process.
Agents for the developer, Johnson Mowat Planning, have maintained that the site is not located in an environmentally sensitive or vulnerable area. In a formal statement, they asserted that no unusually complex or hazardous environmental effects have been identified regarding the land. Furthermore, the agents highlighted that the site’s previous allocation for employment use was subject to a sustainability appraisal by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), which identified no fundamental environmental constraints to development.
“The planning application shall be accompanied by a suite of technical and environmental assessments which identify the baseline characteristics of the site and assess environmental effects in the normal manner,” the developers stated. “Where required and in line with best practice, the proposed development shall include measures to ensure that any potential impacts are minimised and mitigated, both during construction and operation.”
The developers emphasized that the project includes built-in measures to avoid or mitigate environmental disruption, which they intend to secure through planning conditions. As the project moves into the next phase of the planning lifecycle, the developers are expected to provide further detailed data to satisfy the council’s requirements for environmental monitoring and site management.
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