A BID to halt Lowton ‘super school’ plans with a village green bid has failed.

It has been revealed today that an independently chaired public inquiry has backed 
the council – although the school project itself has already been halted because of the Government’s decision to scrap the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Protesters lodged the legal challenge against proposals for the nursery, primary and high school at Hesketh Meadows because they wanted the area ring-fenced for community leisure use.

A coalition of protesters including Hesketh Meadow Action Group, residents, Wigan Unison and Golborne Save Our Schools campaigners had backed the bid and paid to be legally represented by Manchester solicitors Pannone.

A victory would have thrown another lifeline to Golborne and Lowton High Schools, plus Lowton Junior and Infants, which the mega-school complex was to have replaced.

To succeed, the objector coalition, lead by applicant Janice Johnston, had to prove that Hesketh Meadows provided at least 20 years of continuous and unchallenged community use for legitimate sporting and leisure pursuits.

But this has proved very difficult for campaigners to secure previously at several sites around the borough, including at Chinagate on Westwood and most recently, Mesnes Fields.

Campaigners had worked hard to gather the necessary weight of evidence to influence the public inquiry, including a series of events and activities organised to oppose the council’s plans, and the distribution of more than 10,000 leaflets encouraging parents and residents to submit objections.

But the Inspector, Counsel Alan Evans of Manchester’s Kings Chambers, found after the three-day public inquiry at Leigh Sports Village that objectors had failed to show that a “significant number” of residents of the locality had indulged in lawful sports and pastimes on the land for the past 20 years, or satisfactorily define a neighbourhood which would use such a village green.

Metro director of legal services Kevin Lawson is now advising the Metro that it could now be “unreasonable” to grant the village green application in the light of 
the inspector’s “very full, detailed and knowledgeable” report.