Initiated by St Helens MBC in 2013, the Parkside Development has been a controversial local project. Marketed to the public as the old colliery site, its scope has since expanded dramatically, surprising many residents during the 2021 public inquiry. The project now covers significant additional land in Wigan borough west of Winwick Lane, and most recently, further land east of Winwick Lane may be included, with farms and homes potentially subject to compulsory purchase.
The expansion will have far-reaching effects beyond nearby towns, influencing the broader local and regional communities and environments. While it will bring jobs and economic growth, the social and environmental costs to locals are significant.
Do we reject the development entirely, lose economic benefit or do we devastate the entire green space, wildlife and heritage, separating local towns, with token mitigation?
There is a third way, that is, we do neither of those things.