Residents of Abbey Village have expressed their frustration over plans for a major warehouse development in their area.
The firm behind the Botany Bay development, FI Real Estate Management (FIREM), have applied for planning permissions for a strategic logistics complex at Junction 3 of the M65. This will act as a new transport and distribution hub in the Chorley district, jut over the Blackburn with Darwen borough border.
Earlier this month, residents grouped together to protest the proposed plans, stating it will be a blot on the countryside and will cause months of disruption, with heavy goods vehicles travelling through the small village which is already over-subscribed. Visiting Abbey Village, LancsLive spoke to some residents and business owners to see what people in the area think about the potential plans.
Richard Cort is the owner of Holdens Ice Cream which has a store on Bolton Road in Abbey Village. He thinks there’s already too much construction and works in the nearby area and a new logistics hub would be an unnecessary disruption for locals.
He said: “It is a blot on the landscape, but I understand you have to have industrial looking buildings for industry. I understand that, but I don’t think it’s particularly sympathetic.
“As the crow flies, we’re two or three miles from the first junction of the M65. So then there is a proposed other industrial estate, I think they call it a logistics hub but you can call it what you want, it’s crinkly tin sheds.
“One junction down from that, that’s junction three and then at junction four we’ve got a motorway services and an industrial estate that’s full of commerce. As far as I am concerned, there is an over density on what would appear, three consecutive junctions of the motorway, there are three consecutive industrial estates.
“We are turning perfectly good greenbelt and turning it into planning land, with no particular benefit to the local area.” Richard says there is some talk of jobs coming out of these proposed plans, but doesn’t believe this will come to fruition.
The protests held for the development on Finnington Lane
(Image: Ann Christopher)
Jobs creation promise
The application to Chorley Council says the new hub on land at the Stanworth Land site off Finnington Lane could deliver up to 1,300 jobs – adding nearly £400million to the local economy.
He added: “Normally, in logistics you just have either trucks or containers that are static, there’s no industry there. There’s no manufacturing there, there is no retail there, it’s just static goods. Where are the jobs coming from?
“You don’t really need them. These days they can just be moved by robots, so there appears to be no beneficial interest for Abbey Village. Apart from the fact you’ll get 40-footers clanging through a village, where the roads were never meant for it.
“We already have a bridge which is single file because the bridge wont take it. It’s a compounding problem.”
As a business owner himself, Richard asserts that he isn’t against commercial enterprise or industry, but is against the locals not benefiting from the works that will disrupt them for a significant period of time. “Local people are shocked,” Richard stated.
“They are concerned, but the problem is there just needs to be a general malaise at this moment in time. They think it doesn’t matter what’s said, it’s going to go ahead anyway.”
Michael Baines has lived on Bolton Road for over 30 years
Michael and Julia Baines have lived on Bolton Road in Abbey Village for more than 30 years. They say when they first moved in, the area was “utterly quiet” and barely anything nearby, but now the traffic has increased tenfold, with Michael saying there’s around six to eight HGVs every hour.
“If it’s anything like that one they’ve already built at Chorley,” Michael said, referring to the Botany Bay development. “Firstly, it’s an eyesore and secondly, we don’t need it, they’ve already built a big one there.
“There’s no benefit for us. They said there will be more jobs but saying there’s going to be more and actually proving it are different, because there isn’t.”
The couple describe Bolton Road as a “rat run” for people using alternative routes from the motorway. On LancsLive’s visit, a number of heavy goods vehicles drove past the narrow road, which critics say will worsen with the proposed development.
Degradation of the greenbelt
Agreeing with this sentiment is a neighbour a few doors down, Richard Nunes who is also opposed to the new logistics site. With an opposition poster in the window of his home on Bolton Road, Richard says the “obvious issues” are the degradation of the greenbelt, environment issues and ecology issues.
“It’s also the traffic and lack of development for the infrastructure,” Richard added. “As a lot of the development on the fringe, the land is available and appropriate, viable and all the rest of it, but the infrastructure isn’t there.
Richard Nunes lives on Bolton Road and is opposed to the plans
“We’ve got one bridge that’s currently in need of repair and damaged by heavy traffic and another bridge on the other side. The traffic is likely just to get busier.
“There are other viable brownfield sites.” Richard calls the proposed site a “particularly sensitive spot” due to the lack of infrastructure and increase in traffic that will only make roads and structural integrities in the area weaken.
“When I first heard about it, I thought a little shed won’t hurt,” Richard added. “But the size of it is immense actually. It’s way way beyond what any of us ever imagined.”
Talking about disruption and heavy traffic already in the area, Richard said: “We already get quite a lot from the quarry. There’s muck and mud all over the place, there’s increased flooding already.
“It’s not party time, we’ve got some difficult challenges already. The prospect of that is not welcomed.”
Leaflets used in fight
Posters can be seen in the windows of some homes
Richard has been handing out leaflets to the local community, clearly outlining opposition to the plans. He was also part of a protest that took place on December 7, headed by local parish councillor Ann Christopher.
“So few people didn’t know about the idea and those who did, knew very little about what it would entail,” Ann explained after the protest meeting. “When you put it into context, about this being another Botany Bay, people are absolutely horrified.
“We’ve started a mass leafleting and door knocking campaign, to raise awareness more than anything else. Also it gives people the opportunity to formally complain and to oppose it.”
Ann says there has been in excess of over 200 objections to the planning application since the campaign was launched a couple of weeks ago. However, this is not indicative of the true number as Ann states many more are waiting to be uploaded on to the system, with people struggling or unable to log on.
FI Real Estate Management statement
A spokesperson for FI Real Estate Management said: “There is currently unmet demand for logistics space across Lancashire. The site is well-located next to the motorway junction and is aimed at attracting national and international companies, offering job security and progression, that we know are keen to invest in the area.
“It is estimated that around 1,300 jobs will be created, and we will work with local authorities and agencies to ensure that local people benefit from the jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities.
“The planning application is supported by a range of detailed documents, looking at aspects such as highways and views. Detailed work has gone into design and site layout, and the topography of the site, including significant new planting and landscaping to help to screen views of the site.
“A highways, traffic, and travel plan has been submitted, proposing highways improvements including a new signal-controlled junction on Finnington Lane with dedicated pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities, alongside improvements to the Old Toll Bar junction and several improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.
“We’re working alongside local authorities and National Highways who will independently assess the proposals, but the site location ensures logistics traffic will be connected to the national highways through the M65, limiting the need for goods vehicles to use local roads.”
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