Campaigners have staged a mass trespass at the Winstanley Hall estate in Wigan, part of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Ashton-in-Makerfield constituency. The protest was organised by Right to Roam activists who are calling for a change in the law to introduce a Scottish-style right to responsible access to privately-owned land and water.
Dozens of people walked on public footpaths before accessing private land through a gap in fencing around the site. Nadia Shaikh, co-director of Right to Roam, stated that only 1% of Burnham's constituency has right to roam access and expressed hope the protest would gain his attention.
Kingswood Homes, the developer proposing to build around 400 homes on the land, stated their plans include making more than 18 acres (0.07 sq km) publicly accessible. The developer also said Winstanley Hall and its surrounding estate have always been privately owned and never historically open to the public.