Wigan is one of the nine districts part of the emerging Places for Everyone joint development plan. The plan has identified an area known as the Wigan and Bolton Growth corridor (Policy JP- Strat 8) as a regionally significant area of economic and residential development.
The Growth Location will see improved transport links including new road infrastructure, c1milion sqm of new employment floorspace and c13,000 new homes delivered across the location.
Wigan borough is an ideal place to develop housing and offers a wealth of opportunities:
- Wigan is at the heart of the North West and boasts rising development values
- It's part of Greater Manchester (GM), the UK’s strongest economic centre outside London and the South East
- Strategically well located with direct rail services to London, Manchester, Liverpool and other locations such as Preston, Warrington and Bolton
- Will be a HS2 station/high speed gateway for the North
- Has a strong local economy and is home to various local, national and international businesses e.g. Kraft-Heinz, Uncle Joe’s, Poundland Distribution, NicePak and AB World Food (Patak’s Foods)
- Has a strong residential market with over c4200 houses built in the last 3 years and an identified 6.59-year housing land supply
- Is pro-development and has granted planning permission for over 22,000 homes since 2011.
What are we doing to help?
We’re funding infrastructure
Our economy is growing and it’s important that we have the right connections in place to support this growth. With more traffic on our roads than ever before, we need to improve our connectivity across the borough so local people have access to jobs and opportunities. We also want to alleviate traffic on some of the borough’s busiest routes, reduce congestion and improve journey times for local people. Projects include:
Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Improvements
There is currently a comprehensive programme of infrastructure improvements ongoing throughout the borough, including: off and on road cycling and walking routes, new and upgraded crossing points as well as low traffic neighbourhoods and parklets. Proposed schemes include Leigh/Atherton/Tyldesley Bee Network, Standish/Wigan/Ashton Bee Network, Leigh Active Neighbourhood and Atherton/ Tyldesley Active Travel Schemes.
M58 link road
The M58 link road will alleviate traffic on one of the borough’s busiest routes, Ormskirk Road (A577), promoting east to west connectivity and improving air quality. The new road is an extension of the existing Leopold Street. We will be connecting the M58/M6 motorway junction through to Billinge Road and on to Pemberton Business Park, where it will connect to the existing roundabout at Smithy Brook Road. Planning approval was granted in 2018 and 2022, and detailed design continues throughout 2022, into 2023.
For further information on infrastructure, connectivity and regeneration projects through the borough, please see our infrastructure plan webpages.
Bringing a new lease of life to our Town Centres
As one of the eight principal town centres in Greater Manchester (GM), Wigan is high on GM’s agenda. To tackle some of the challenges facing town centres, we have:
- Developed the Wigan Town Centre Strategic Regeneration Framework to show residents our long-term vision to redevelop their town centre
- Created the Wigan Town Centre Residential Development Prospectus to showcase why Wigan town centre is a great place to develop a new residential market and to drive interest in the town centre as a development location to any prospective developers. The prospectus is an active document and will be continually updated with any new sites or intelligence that comes forward
- Secured significant funding for town centre regeneration across the borough, including- £16.6m from the Future High Streets Fund, c.£3m from the High Street Heritage action zone and a share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for a range of community and place activity over the next 2 years
- This funding is allowing us to continue work on our regeneration plans that include new residential units, workspaces, cultural centres and leisure facilities, reviving and sustaining our high streets.
Regenerating The Galleries shopping centre
Wigan Council in 2021 officially announced that Galleries25 - a joint venture partnership between Cityheart and Beijing Construction Engineering Group International (BCEGI) – as the appointed Strategic Development Partner for the £130 million redevelopment of the Galleries and this was followed with the submission and subsequent approval of a hybrid planning application in summer 2021.
A Reserved Matters application for the multi-media centre has also been submitted with the decision expected summer 2023.
The proposed scheme will see the existing 440,000 sq. ft shopping centre transformed to provide:
- A new 75,000sqft market hall, including a contemporary food hall, co-working spaces, small offices
- A 144-room high quality hotel with ground floor bar
- A signature food and drink Pavilion building
- A family orientated multi-media centre comprising a six screen cinema, and numerous leisure uses including climbing walls, gaming, bowling alleys, music, indoor mini golf, food and beverage units
- A new landscaped public square for regular events and cultural uses.
- 483 residential units (including 116 affordable housing units and a range of other tenures)
- Over 150 new trees for the town centre
The scheme began on site in 2022, with completion expected in 2025.
Future High Street Fund
We have secured £16.6 million-pound from the Future High Streets Fund for Wigan Town Centre. The Future high street fund has shifted the focus away form demolitions and to sensitive refurbishment. We are currently working on large scale regeneration plans that include new residential units, workspaces, cultural centres and leisure facilities, reviving and sustaining our high streets.
Alongside this, Historic England have awarded the King Street area in Wigan with a Heritage Action Zone to bring historic buildings back into use, investing around £1.3million.
Levelling Up Fund
Wigan Council is to restore the iconic landmark into an arts, culture and heritage destination of national significance as part of a £37.5m masterplan. Plans for Haigh Hall are being supported by £20m from the government’s Levelling Up Fund and include exhibition spaces and educational opportunities as well as a world class hospitality offer suitable for weddings and special occasions.
Our Future Ashton
Wigan Council is set to receive £6.6m to regenerate one of the borough’s popular district centres. The #OurFutureAshton plan was one of 16 areas unveiled as part of the government’s Spring Budget. The project aims to support transformation of Ashton-in-Makerfield town Centre, proposals include improved shop fronts, upgraded streets and public spaces, new walking and cycling routes and a refresh for the town’s market square.
Community Wealth Building
The Wigan Deal has enabled local communities and the Council to work in partnership in order to transform and improve the borough’s economy through our community wealth building work.
Community Wealth Building aims to place control of our local economy in the hands of our local people, businesses, and communities. It is about how we work, along with our partners and businesses, to use our budget for goods and services, recruitment, land, and property in ways which reorganise the local economy to retain wealth in the borough and ensure benefits and inclusive opportunities for local people.
Our Community Wealth Building vision and principles document sets out how we will move forward with this approach to create sustainable social, economic, and environmental benefits for all our residents for decades to come.
Specialist and supported housing
We want to make sure that our residents are provided the housing, care and support they need to Start Well, Live Well, and Age Well.
Working with partners across the sector, including private developers, registered providers, providers of care and support services, and more, we want a borough which secures high quality supported accommodation to residents who require additional support in order to thrive in their communities.
If you are interested in working with us to help meet this growing sector of specialist housing need, please complete our online form:
We see our aspirations for a growing and high-quality specialist housing sector in Wigan as key to our Community Wealth Building ambitions. These ambitions focus on building a fairer and inclusive economy by giving greater control to our local businesses, residents, and communities, recognising the links between a growing and more inclusive economy, and their wellbeing and prospects.
Our house building programmes are contributing to meeting the needs of residents who require supported housing, and we look forward to working with developers of all sizes to play a bigger role in helping to deliver our Community Wealth Building priorities.