Warehouse 'racket' disturbing sleep say neighbours

Residents living in the shadow of a huge warehouse complex have said the noise of lorries moving around the site has been "horrendous".

On Monday, logistics firm Whistl began operating out of one of the 60 ft high warehouses built by developer PLP and approved by Wigan Council at the Henfold Estate in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester.

Steve Retford, who lives directly opposite the service yard, said wagons were causing a "dreadful cacophony of racket all night" and making local people loose sleep.

A Whistl spokesperson said the firm was monitoring noise levels and would "continue to listen and make changes where practicable" in response to residents' concerns.

Amanda Robinson, 39, lives on Withington Drive, and the home she bought eight years ago, which used to border fields, now looks out onto a busy industrial site.

She works from home and said there was no respite from the constant "hissing, reversing, beeping of the horns".

"It is so constant, you can't escape. Your home is your sanctuary, you're meant to be able to relax, but people living here are just not able to."

Whistl has been granted an interim operators licence, subject to conditions, by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC), the body responsible for licensing and regulating heavy goods vehicle (HGV) operators.

The postal and logistics firm is the first to operate out of the warehouses, which were given planning permission by Wigan Council despite major local opposition, and were finished in January 2026.

As part of the firm's licence, HGVs are not able to fuel and have been limited to a set number of movements in and out of the site between 22:00 and 05:00.

Another stipulation is that no reversing alarms or horns are used on site, but this is in contradiction to rules set by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) which requires horns to be tested each day as part of routine safety checks.

The catch 22 scenario was uncovered by Zoë Bread, the alter-ego of an anonymous social media investigator who has previously campaigned over issues like council parking fines.

In her post highlighting the issue on Instagram, she said: "Whistl are damned if they honk and damned if they don't honk."

But in a statement the OTC said the checks were "important" but the specific contents of how they are conducted are issued "as guidance rather than being prescribed legal requirement".

"In situations such as this, the expectation of the Traffic Commissioner would be that the operator adopts a sensible risk-based approach and manages the issue appropriately."

"This could include ensuring drivers test vehicle horns at the earliest safe opportunity once they have left the operating centre and are outside residential areas or any area where restrictions on horn use apply."

The OTC said the key issue for operators was that they had "effective systems" in place to identify defects while complying with their licence conditions.

Whistl said it was in "full compliance" with the requirements over horns and reverse alarms on site.

"We have a longstanding track record of operating safely and in compliance with the requirements of the DVSA and OTC."

The OTC is currently considering a full application by Whistl for the site.

Retford, who is part of a local residents group opposed to the Astley Warehouse Business Park development, said: "The racket that's emanating from the warehouse that Whistl are the tenants of is just unbelievable.

"We're three nights in now, and we've been disturbed every single night."

He told BBC Radio Manchester that though Whistl had sought to assure the group about noise, any assertion a firm could run a logistical operation in a warehouse of that size without affecting residents was, in his view, "nonsense".

"There is the hissing of air brakes, the clonking of trailers connecting, the movement of storage boxes in the trailers."

A spokesperson for Whistl said it had been in "active dialogue" with the residents group about its plans and how it would operate.

They said: "We have listened to their concerns about light and noise and where possible taken measures to mitigate the impact of our operations within the approved permissions to operate a 24/7 logistics business from the site."

David Gerrard, 47, lives with his wife and three children bordering the site and said he has not been able to open windows in the recent heat due to the noise.

They moved into a rent-to-buy home in 2019 and put "all their money into a dream house", he said.

But their home is now directly opposite the warehouse site and the "noise from the wagons is incredible", he said.

"It's always there, you can't get away from it. You wake up, open your windows and it's there. I come home and it's looming over my house.

"It's now worth less than what we paid for, I'd sell for peanuts."

Both Gerrard and Retford agreed there was no way for the site to operate that would reduce noise to a satisfactory level for residents, while allowing Whistl to run its business effectively.

Amanda Robinson said it is "unavoidable noise based on the industry and there is never going to be a compromise that works for everyone".

She said she is afraid about what will happen if Whistl is given a permanent licence.

The Whistl spokesperson said it was monitoring the noise levels with equipment installed on acoustic fencing by points closest to the homes.

"We will continue to listen and make changes where practicable as we appreciate the strength of feeling amongst the community over the new business park," they said.

In a statement Wigan Council said the authority had reached out to Whistl and "will be working with them and local residents to look at options to help mitigate any ongoing operational concerns at the site".

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.