Atherton
| Station Name | Atherton |
| Station Code | ATN |
| Station Owner | Northern Trains |
| Developable Area | 30.11ha |
| Development Capacity | 1,506 homes (at 50dph) |
| Local Planning Authority | Wigan |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Required | 2,385 |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Delivered | 4,156 |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Score | 174% |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Consequence | None |
| Green Belt | Merseyside and Greater Manchester |
| Green Belt Area | 16.63ha ( 55.23% of the potential development area) |
| Network Rail Region | North West |
| Network Rail Sub-Region | Greater Manchester |
| Passengers, 2020 - 2021 | 65,272 |
| Passengers, 2019 - 2020 | 329,668 |
| UK Station Passenger Rank (Use) | 1,176 |
Development Potential
England's busiest station (apart from those serving airports) had 4,170,558 passenger movements in the period 2019-2020. The station with the least was 68. Atherton station had 329,668 passengers enter or exit it during this period. That's roughly 906 people per day.
For a station with this number of passengers passing through it each year a density of 50 homes per hectare is reasonable, based on its proximity to major population centres and existing infrastructure.
Atherton is located within the North West railway region. The potential area for development around the station (excluding existing buildings, national parks, flood zones, public green space, protected habitats, areas of outstanding natural beauty, world heritage sites and surface water) is approximately 30.11ha.
Assuming an appropriate (but not prevailing) development density of 50 dwellings per hectare, this area has a development capacity of around 1,506 homes.
The station sits within Wigan planning authority, which in 2021 achieved a Housing Delivery Test Score of 174%, having delivered 4,156 homes from a target of 2,385. There are no consequences for the planning authority as a result.
The total capacity of all Wigan's stations is 7,772 homes. That's 326% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.
Taking green belt into account, the capacity of Wigan's stations is 1,542 homes without building on protected land. That's 65% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.
