'There aren't enough roads, doctors or school places - so why are they building more homes?'

Anger is mounting against plans for a development of 150 homes in a Greater Manchester village - even before a planning application has been submitted.

News of the anticipated scheme in Standish has been posted on Facebook by local councillor Ray Whittingham.

As a Standish representative, Coun Whittingham has been informed by Wigan council of the impending planning application from Mosaic Town Planning, based in Manchester. The development is earmarked for for land behind Moss Green Close and Wood Green Close, off Iron Drive.

New homes would be an add-on to the Church Field estate site, which is only two years old and is still being developed. But Coun Whittingham and residents in Standish are already voicing objections to proposals, citing a congested local road network, over-burdened doctors’ surgeries and dentists, and a lack of school places as the main reasons.

“There hasn’t been any improvement in the roads around Standish since they built the M6 decades ago,” he said. “The roads are already badly congested. Then there’s the sewerage and drainage systems, that are creaking.

“There is also a lack of doctors, dentists and school places.” Even Wigan’s mayor, who is also a Standish councillor, Debbie Parkinson, is against the idea of more homes in the village.

“I don’t want any more houses in Standish,” she said. “But I think we should wait until more details appear on the planning portal before we say anything else.”

Andy Irving, 41, who lives in one of the last house to be built by Persimmons on Moss Green Close, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I would prefer the green fields there to be retained and not to be built on,” he said. Andy said he and his wife, Kerry, 36, have two boys who love to play