David Gerrard, a builder from Greater Manchester, says four warehouses about 60 feet high built beside his home have wiped £170,000 (over $225,000) off the value of his family's "dream house."
Here's what to know
In comments to the Daily Mail, Gerrard, 47, said an estate agent valued his detached house at roughly £380,000 to £395,000 (around $506,000 to $526,000). He said the same home could have been worth £550,000 (around $732,000) if the industrial development had not been built next door.
He said his family bought the property for £360,000 (about $470,000) soon after the estate was completed in 2019 and viewed it as a long-term source of security. He said the new estimate left him "totally gobsmacked."
Next to the homes is the 350,000-square-foot Astley Business Park development, made up of four industrial buildings. Nearby residents have likened the gray blocks to giant "cruise liners" looming over the neighborhood.
According to Gerrard, the estate agent did not soften the assessment.
"He said, being honest, that we probably wouldn't be able to sell it because of the warehouses," Gerrard said.
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More background
Gerrard said the house had become, in effect, his retirement plan because he spent years putting his earnings into the property instead of paying into a formal pension after working "seven days a week" since age 16, according to the Daily Mail.
He said the neighborhood had previously appealed strongly to buyers because it sits near a sought-after school. Homes there once "would go like hot cakes," he said, but properties listed have been withdrawn after failing to sell.
While he knew the nearby employment land might eventually be used, Gerrard said he never imagined development on this scale, and neighbors say it has brought constant disruption.
Residents say heavy-goods vehicles pass through day and night, along with banging, engine noise, and a steady background hum. They have also reported garden flooding for the first time, blue security lights shining into bedrooms, and automated warnings booming from the site.
What can be done?
Logistics firm Whistl became the first to begin 24-hour operations from one of the units in July. The company has since said it is aware that the noise "has had an impact on nearby residents," the Daily Mail reported.
The company said yard transport movements stopped between midnight and 6 a.m. starting Sept. 7 while it explores longer-term noise-reduction measures. The change does not address homeowners' concerns about property valuations.
On Aug. 28, Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig visited the estate, walked around the development's edge, and heard residents' complaints about noise, flooding, and the size of the warehouses beside family homes.
Wigan Council also ordered an independent audit of the planning process. The review found the warehouse approval complied with legislation and procedures but said residents had been given "no meaningful opportunity" to engage before the application was submitted.
"We've gone from having our dream house to not wanting to be here at all," Gerrard said. "Inside, the house is lovely. Sometimes you even forget about the warehouses. But then you hear the noise from the HGVs."
Where can I learn more?
Residents elsewhere have raised similar complaints after large industrial projects moved in beside their homes.
• In the U.K., neighbors funded a legal fight after a warehouse rose beside their homes.
• North of London, residents say a data center hum and glare threaten sleep and house prices.
• In Toronto, overnight city-depot noise drove a homeowner from the new house she bought.
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