Families living in Tyldesley, Wigan, are vehemently criticizing the local council's handling of an 'independent audit' into planning decisions for the enormous 'supersheds' at Astley Business Park, dubbing the process a 'tick-box exercise'. The four bleak, grey warehouses, standing up to 60ft (18.3m) tall and covering a 350,000 sq ft site, were signed off by Wigan Council in June 2024. These structures, part of developer Peel Group's project, now dwarf hundreds of surrounding homes in the market town, leading to myriad complaints from residents.

Residents have reported suffering sleepless nights, months of disruption, and significant financial burdens, including the inability to sell their homes or substantial reductions in property value. The development has also caused severe practical issues, such as gardens and school-run routes being flooded with muddy water, sometimes reaching 1.5ft deep in parts of their gardens, forcing parents to carry their children. Teachers at a nearby school have also reported difficulties conducting lessons due to the incessant noise from the construction.

The focus has now shifted to the promised 'independent audit' of Wigan Council's planning decisions, which was intended to assess whether proper procedures were followed. However, residents are deeply skeptical. They have discovered that only one person has been appointed to carry out this extensive audit, with a mere two weeks allotted to review 195 documents.

John Peters, 71, who lives next to one of the warehouses and is part of the Residents Steering Group, expressed profound disappointment. He stated, "We think it's a tick-box exercise. The auditor himself actually admitted to us that his brief and the timescales are very limited. It's a massive, massive job for one man to be conducting a review of 195 documents in just two weeks. We've not been listened to or had our say. We just don't feel like the council cares about us." Mr. Peters also claimed residents were promised a say in the selection of auditors, a promise that was not fulfilled, leading to ongoing questions about the process's independence.

The campaign group Astley Warehouse Action further highlighted that the two-week review was scheduled in the lead-up to Christmas, making the assessment of hundreds of documents even more challenging. They have consistently warned that any council-controlled audit could not truly be independent. Resident Dawn Hornby, who moved into her home just as construction began, felt "cheated," having been told by workers the structures would be "low lying" and "you won't see them." Mr. Peters, whose retirement home has been transformed by the "monster" growing in the field, echoed her disappointment.

Following numerous complaints about the flooding, which residents assert never occurred before construction, Wigan Council agreed to dig drainage channels to alleviate the issue. The authority has previously offered repeated assurances that planning processes were followed, but the residents remain unconvinced, with a campaign group of over 200 people actively fighting the development.