Astley’s once quiet village despairs over monster warehouse and feeling of being screwed

Noise disrupts residents’ lives

Stephen Retford, a former police detective, said warehouse noise wakes him and his wife during the night. They have spoken to their doctor about sleep deprivation, and Retford said they have not had a proper night’s sleep in well over a year.

Residents describe the development as a major change for the area, which was once surrounded by farmland. One resident said a child in the household shuts the blinds after school because she is uneasy about a CCTV camera facing their home.

Village faces a changed landscape

Helen Halbous, 47, said she felt let down by Wigan council. She described Astley as a former mining village that had become an industrial centre, and said she and her partner felt trapped in a home they once loved.

Halbous said a neighbour’s home valuation had fallen by 30%, though she added that selling could still be difficult. The warehouse was named the UK’s worst new building this year.

Inquiry and wider concerns

Residents are due to speak at a public inquiry next week. Their campaign fund has raised £78,000, with much of the money intended for lawyers. Astley’s dispute comes amid wider opposition to large developments. Plans were announced last week for Britain’s largest datacentre at the Drax power plant site in North Yorkshire, while 315 further hyperscale datacentres are waiting to connect to the National Grid.

Companies respond to complaints

Whistl began operating at the site in July. It said it takes residents’ concerns seriously and is committed to meeting licensing responsibilities and acting as a good neighbour.

The company said it would use quieter vehicles and keep activity in the yard paused from midnight to 6am. Those measures will remain while the parties seek a sustainable, long-term solution. Land owner PLP said the buildings’ size and scale had not changed since its 2023 planning application; an earlier proposal for smaller units, submitted by Peel in 2017, had lapsed.