Places   (Help with places, streets and buildings in Wigan.)

Firstly, all land in the UK is 'owned' by the Crown.

The land on the Wigan side of the brook was built on. The other side of the brook was Aspull, a different place with a different council. It's possible that Aspull council wouldn't allow any building on their side of the brook.

Back to what I said ^upthere^, the government took over all coalmining activities in 1947, along with all the associated estate. It follows that it was likely to have been NCB land.

If you want to know who held the land in the years before the NCB took it over, have a look here.