Whistl's 50-HGV licence bid hits public inquiry as residents detail health toll

Whistl is seeking an operator's licence to raise its HGV fleet at a contested 17-acre warehouse in Astley, Greater Manchester, from 40 to 50 lorries and from 60 to 70 trailers — and a public inquiry opened this week by Britain's office of the traffic commissioner will decide the application by early December.

Deputy traffic commissioner John Baker launched the environmental inquiry after significant local opposition to the round-the-clock logistics operation beside the village. The site, an 18-metre-high warehouse residents call a "megashed", was approved by Wigan council in 2024 following a planning application by PLP, a firm part-owned by Peel Group, one of Britain's biggest landowners, run by billionaire John Whittaker.

The building was named Britain's joint-worst new building this year.

What did Andy Burnham's letter say?

The inquiry heard that shortly before he became prime minister, Andy Burnham wrote to the traffic commissioner's office in February to oppose Whistl's plans. The then Greater Manchester mayor expressed concerns about the route taken by dozens of HGVs to access the site near his Makerfield constituency.

Burnham wrote that schoolchildren would share the road with huge lorries "despite there being no pedestrian crossings, no lollipop service, no traffic calming and sections where the pavement is extremely narrow or ends entirely". He raised the lack of any safe crossing for children near a primary school. The Guardian has seen the letter, which was not shown at the inquiry.

How severe is the impact on residents?

Witnesses at the Brick Community stadium in Wigan described what they called the "catastrophic" effect of the warehouse, which opened this summer, with some residents reporting anxiety, sleep deprivation and depression.

John Peters, co-founder of the Astley Warehouse Action Group and a village resident since 1979, called the licence application "a recipe for disaster" and said: "I hope I never have to say I told you so." In tears, he likened the warehouse's arrival to "a plane crash-landing in that field".

Peters said that a year ago he took a single statin for cholesterol. He now takes high blood pressure medication, a statin, anti-depressants and a sleeping aid.

David Gerrard, a builder who lives opposite the site, said lorries' noise and light routinely wake his wife and their three daughters at night. He counted 113 wagons over a seven-hour period starting at 5.30am. His house has fallen in value by an estimated £170,000. "How are we supposed to live with this? It's ruining our lives," he said.

Carole Retford, whose property the warehouse overshadows, described being "exhausted through lack of sleep" and mood swings from "anxious to quite depressed". Paul Bullow said: "Physically, mentally, it's draining, it's constant. It never stops. It just brings levels of stress that weren't there before but are now there all the time. It's completely unacceptable."

What did the acoustics expert find?

James Healey, an acoustics consultant commissioned by residents who chairs the UK Institute of Acoustics building acoustics group, said approval of such a noisy warehouse so close to homes was unprecedented. "In my 22 years in consultancy I've never seen a planning application be approved with a sound impact such as this, so it's unprecedented in my experience," he said. His report concluded that those living closest to the site face "severe health risks" from excessive noise.

What concessions has Whistl offered?

In September, Whistl volunteered to pause overnight operations between midnight and 6am and introduced quieter electric vehicles. Executives conceded in evidence that the company might not have chosen the site had it foreseen the level of concern.

Patrick Sadd, Whistl's barrister, said the company accepted the "extremely moving" testimony and that the impact on some residents had been "far-reaching". He said Whistl had worked "tirelessly" to find a solution and would continue to do so, including exploring sound-insulating structures.

The December ruling is viewed as a test case for how local groups can challenge comparable large industrial developments across Britain. The Labour government has relaxed planning rules to permit big logistics projects on previously protected land as the UK competes in the race for AI infrastructure and an e-commerce market that increasingly depends on next-day deliveries.