A PLANNING application for more than 450 homes to be built in a waterfront park in West Leigh has been submitted to Wigan Council.

The proposal is to create a mixed residential development next to the Leigh stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal of up to 470 homes.

The site is jointly owned by the Canal and River Trust waterways charity and the council.

Plans include apartments and a mix of two, three and four- bedroom family homes.

The application also features a cycle-friendly footbridge to give better access to Pennington Flash Country Park, which is south of the canal, and Leigh town centre.

A quarter of the 20-hectare site will be retained as open land, including a woodland area separating the site from the Taylor Wimpey marina development to the west.

Cheryl Blount-Powell, senior development manager at the Canal and River Trust, said: “We held a public consultation event in September and listened to different views about how the development should look.

“More than 300 people attended this event and we have listened to their concerns, particularly about access and the loss of open land.

“As a result we have increased public landscaped areas and restricted road access to two main entry points at either side of the development.

“The proposed new footbridge will give enhanced access for residents walking or cycling to the beautiful Pennington Flash Country Park.

“We also propose safe places for children to play and new cycle routes and footpaths.

“The public open spaces will be landscaped, providing an attractive place for residents who want a pleasant route into Leigh.”

The outline plans submitted also include a landscaped park between Mersey Street and Radnor Drive, providing a connection through the site from Firs Lane to the canal.

Vehicle access to the site will be restricted to two main routes.

These will be via a new three-arm roundabout constructed on Plank Lane at the western end of the site, and on the eastern edge a fourth arm will be added to the recently constructed roundabout at the Firs Lane/Wigan Road junction.

Residents can view and comment on the proposed development through the planning process by visiting the council’s website and searching for planning application reference A/16/82492/OUTMES.

If the application is approved residents will have a further opportunity to comment and influence the detailed design of the houses and apartments when a developer is chosen and a detailed planning application is submitted.