Voice of Leigh

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At last, some relief from flats developments?

THERE‘s an old saying ‘It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good….’

How true this is of the so-called ‘credit cruncher’ currently affecting the economies of so many countries. From Leigh’s point of view, though, it must mean some relief from the constant spate of planning applications the town has been subjected to in recent months. Surely, it must take a brave man now to seek planning permission for a block of flats in the current climate.

Not that it will stop them altogether. They realise as much as anyone else that if they are successful in getting planning permission there is no urgent need for them to start building straightaway. It will take a braver developer, though, who may have been given planning permission in the last couple of years, and has been waiting for the right time to start building, to take the decision to do so now.

If they run out of time they will have to come back with an application to renew planning permission – and it gives those opposed to the application another opportunity to defeat it.

There’s quite a few of those around Leigh. But shed no tears for them. Nor for those who will have gone ahead with their projects and now face the unenviable task of trying to sell them. There’s quite a few of those around Leigh, too. Leigh has taken more than its fair share of flats developments in recent years – and nobody can begrudge the area a breather.

One thing is for certain. Once the present ‘credit cruncher’ eases the applications will begin flooding in again. It will be back to the barricades for those who are trying to preserve the character of Leigh.

In the meantime, though, wouldn’t it be a breath of fresh air if those who own large plots of land – like the Bell Hotel in Old Leigh for example – spent some time looking at more imaginative schemes rather than going for those huge edifices which no-one really wants.