A TIMBER company says it would have to uproot or close if permission is refused for a new storage building in Astley's Green Belt.

Primer Mould (W Howard Ltd) of Lower Green Lane says 59 jobs could go and hopes of new ones dashed if planners refuse Boden E Davies' request. Boden's want to erect a 900 square metres, 10 metres high storage building at Minshulls Farm which neighbours Primer Mould would use because of space shortage on their own site.

Both wood works on opposite sides of the road to Astley Moss run inter-related operations.

But members of Astley Green Village Committee say they have had enough of shaking homes and sawdust.

In a letter to planners the group's secretary Ingrid Berry complained: "We have not objected to the expansion of the business previously because it does provide local employment. But we are fed-up with the increase in HGV traffic generated -- from 6am during the week -- seven days a week.

"Vehicles speed through the village causing our houses to shake and covering the village with sawdust."

And they say the only way residents would go along with further expansion was if all traffic was forced to use the private road from the landfill site to Morleys Bridge on the East Lancashire Road.

Councillor John Lea has also voiced concerns about how the industrial use had spilled over onto open land where vehicle parts had been dumped.

Boden and Davies boss Charles Boden told planners in a letter: "It is of some importance for the future prosperity of both businesses who plan to expand and employ further people from the area."

In a letter to Mr Boden, Jonathan Grant a director of W Howard Ltd, said: "If planning permission is not granted we would have only two options -- to close completely or relocate to another area, probably outside Wigan."

Next Tuesday Wigan's development control committee will consider if there are sufficient special circumstances to override Green Belt restrictions and if so the application would have to be referred to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.