Planning appeal decision
Roadside Farm , Astley Moss, Astley, Lancashire , M29 7LY
Planning appeal 3367174 at Roadside Farm , Astley Moss, Astley, Lancashire , M29 7LY (Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council) was dismissed on 15 August 2025 by Inspector Dean S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
to create new cat rescue and rehoming centre with associated cattery buildings with solar panels to roofs, siting of workers accommodation cabin, creation of parking area, new fencing, and retention of vehicular access, surface water culvert, and associated hardstanding
- Authority
- Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- leisure-sport · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Dean S
- Postcode
- M29 7LY
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt
- The effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
- The effect of the proposal on biodiversity
- Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The combination of inappropriate Green Belt development, moderate harm to openness, and unresolved biodiversity concerns, with insufficient material considerations to justify very special circumstances.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy JP-G9Policy JP-G8
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.
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