AN important part of Lancashire's industrial heritage would be lost if a housing estate was built on a former colliery workshop site.

That's the view of experts who assessed Bett Homes (Northwest) Ltd plans to redevelop the former William Hare Gin Pit works creating an estate of 146 homes -- on land which is designated within the Green belt.

On Tuesday Wigan planners refused the scheme because they judged it contrary to the Unitary Development Plan which strictly limits Green Belt

intrusion.

Planning committee members said the applicants had submitted insufficient information regarding bats within the old colliery workshop buildings which the developers intended to demolish.

They were also unhappy with the layout of the proposed site and Planning Director Martin Kimber said: "I consider the submitted layout is sub-standard and poorly designed in amenity terms and likely to result in poor living conditions for potential future residents of these particular houses."

The Council's conservation officer said there were three structures on site which are of local, historic and archeological interest and an asset for the whole borough's mining heritage.

The Gin Pit Colliery (closed 1955) mineshaft headstock was the oldest surviving example in the borough he said and plans to remove and resite it went against policy guidelines. Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit consider the headstock of considerable interest and believe the structure could throw light on the evolution of Gin Pit and feel dismantling the structure would destroy its historic value.

They also felt demolition of the workshop buildings--of which there are few if any comparable workshop buildings in the north west-- was unjustified.

The workshop complex was the only remaining example of this distinctive and characteristic style of the Manchester Collieries' group buildings.

The Coal Authority did not object to the principle of the development but advised that the site was within the zone of influence on the surface from workings underground in 13 seam of coal ranging from a depth of 125 feet to almost a mile and a half.

The Council received 31 letters objecting to the development being named Gin Pit Village and 27 objections about Ley Road being used for access.

But not all locals think the homes plan is a bad idea.

One man, who recalled as a boy climbing trees and watching National Coal Board workers in the sawmill at Gin Pit workshops, asked: "What will happen to the buildings if this scheme doesn't go ahead?

"They are already being vandalised and are an eyesore at the moment. Who is going to spend money on them. There's already a mining museum at Astley Green and not a lot of brass has been pumped into that.

"I'm not against the homes proposal, although a lot of people are saying we'll get problems with vandalism. If folk are paying £150,000 apiece for houses I reckon they'll be keen to see there's no problem with vandals.

"I do agree that to call such a place Gin Pit Village would be wrong -- there's only one Gin Pit village and that's already here!"