Frustrated neighbours fighting against four "monstrous" warehouses looming over their homes have been dealt a crushing blow - after council chiefs rejected calls to halt construction."

Despite a 10,000-strong petition and mounting fury, Wigan Council ruled out pausing work on the 18-metre grey giants.

The authority said it remains "confident" that planning permission granted for the warehouses, which was granted in June 2024, "aligns with national planning policy"."

The warehouses, which have been compared to "cruise liners", form part of the Astley Business Park development - including four vast industrial units spanning 350,000 sq ft."

Two are permitted to reach heights of 18.3m (60ft), with one already leased to delivery giant Whistl.

Last month, the Astley Warehouse Action Group demanded that work on building should be paused, with campaigners accusing the council of avoiding the "most serious evidence"."

They claim to have uncovered evidence that the noise and visual mitigation used to justify mean the planning approval "could never legally have been built"."

A statement released by the group, which has about 3,000 members on Facebook, said the council had "avoided every major issue raised"."

Among their claims are that 25 revised drawings were uploaded to the planning portal five months after public consultation had closed, including changes to the landscaping scheme,

They said that under national planning rules, they should have been notified about changes made after consultation.

Responding, the council said that there were no amendments to reduce the landscaping.

Neighbours also said that drainage and flood risk issues have gone unaddressed by the council - but the authority said it did not accept that the "approved drainage model" does not reflect the site as built."

Campaigners have now written back to Wigan Council, demanding direct answers and calling for construction to be paused while their evidence is reviewed.

They are also asking the council to commission a retrospective assessment on the environmental and visual impact.

A council spokesperson said: "Following careful examination of the legislation and a further site visit this week, we have found no grounds to lawfully issue a temporary stop notice."

"As there has been no breach of planning control, there is no legal basis to enact such a request and to do so would not only be unlawful, but risk incurring significant adverse costs to the taxpayer."

"We are confident that the decision to grant planning permission aligns with national planning policy."

"Nonetheless, we fully acknowledge the concerns being raised, and we have committed to carrying out an independent audit of the planning process to ensure additional transparency. We will remain in dialogue with the group as that progresses."

Neighbours previously met the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to discuss the plans. They said he was "sympathetic" to their concerns, but his powers were limited."

Their calls for a suspension came after Cllr James Fish quit Wigan Council's planning committee.

He was the only councillor who voted against the original warehouse plans - and has since claimed some colleagues admitted privately they "didn't realise how tall" they were going to be."

The petition launched by Astley Action Group accuses Wigan Council of "forcing through" the plans without proper scrutiny."

It can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/suspend-astley-warehouses-launch-independent-review-of-wigan-council-planning-department