About 1,000 people expected to join big march in AstleyProtesters are worried that this field between Boothstown and the Lancashire Minining Museum will be developed for housing. Image: Joanna Allsop

Organisers of a protest against development on Green Belt land in Wigan expect 1,000 people to join their march.

The Save our Astley and Boothstown Greenbelt Facebook group, which has soared in number to more than 1,100 members in just two weeks, will gather at Ellesmere Street Park, near to the Lancashire Mining Museum in Astley on Sunday.

Marchers will assemble at 12.30pm with the walk from Ellesmere Street Park, Astley, to Boothstown FC starting at 1pm.

Sandra Robinson, one of the administrators of the Facebook group, said that protesters from other parts of Wigan and even Boothstown in Salford would be joining the march.

“Feeling is very strong,” she said. “The response has been amazing. As well as residents, we are expecting a few local councillors also to join us.”

It is taking place as anger has erupted following the publication of Wigan’s initial draft Local Plan, which is currently out for consultation until June 24.

The plan sets a target to deliver 16,527 new homes in the borough ‘in the right locations’ by 2039 at a rate of 972 a year between now and then.

Another of its objectives is to ‘raise the economic profile’ of the borough with new high-quality employment sites in the M6, the A580 (East Lancs Road), and the Wigan-Bolton growth corridors.

The draft plan identifies six sites which are key to housing delivery. They are North Leigh Park (1,400 homes), South Hindley (2,000 homes) , the remaining land south of Atherton (320 homes), land east of Atherton (600 homes), remaining land at Landgate, Ashton-in-Makerfield (400 homes) and Westwood Park, Wigan (420 homes).

But residents fear between 3,000 and 4,000 houses are to built on greenbelt land between Astley from the site of the Lancashire Mining Museum to Boothstown, just over the border with Salford.

They cite major concern over traffic congestion which they say is already a problem across the entire Wigan borough, and believe it will be made worse by more housing.

Wigan council argues that Green Belt in Wigan covers 55.7 per cent of the borough. It says the current Local Plan proposals represent a 1.3pc reduction of green belt in the borough, which means more than half of Wigan would still be within Green Belt land.

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), council leader David Molyneux said: “This Local Plan sets out our ambitions for our borough, and how we will deliver them to tackle inequality and create opportunities.

“The proposed allocation of Bridgewater West is an opportunity to create new jobs in our area, in research and development and technology, alongside a new community in our borough.

“The proposals for this site also include highway improvements, a new access and car park for Lancashire Mining Museum and measures to safeguard and support nature recovery at Chat Moss.

“We know that people feel really strongly about their community, their area and what happens where they live and we absolutely want to hear from our residents. I would encourage everyone to respond to the consultation and make your voice heard.”

Sandra also moved to correct confusion over the location of the start of the march. It is not starting from Little Shakerley Common, off Ellesmere Street, Tyldesley, as was previously believed.

From Ellesmere Street Park, Astley, the march will proceed along the pathway at the side of the A580 East Lancashire Road along Chaddock Lane and is timed to reach Boothstown FC at about 2pm.