Board to boost Love-Leigh vision
A prominent business leader has been appointed to spearhead a new group to help oversee investment projects in Leigh town centre.
The Leigh Town Board (LTB) was formed earlier this year with Karen Cox, centre manager of Spinning Gate Shopping Centre, as its chairperson.
The town has been given more than £30m in central government funding and it is hoped this will unlock much more in private investment.
Karen said: “I am honoured to have been invited to become chairperson. Our role will be to work alongside the council and local partners to develop a 10-year vision for our town and a three-year investment plan.
“I am really excited to bring representatives from lots of different sectors together to make sure we deliver the best for our town’s future.”
The LTB will oversee the spend of the government’s Long-Term Towns Fund, ensuring it is transparent, accountable and in line with national guidance.
View more information on Leigh Regeneration Project.
Support campaign is still Here For You
Two-years-on from the launch of Wigan Council’s cost-of-living campaign, Here for You, the authority is shining a light on the impact it has had on the lives of individuals across the borough.
Taking a pro-active and targeted approach, the local authority’s welfare support team have helped hundreds of residents access more than £1.6m in previously unclaimed welfare benefits.
And in the last year, over £350,000 of support for rent has been distributed to over 970 households through discretionary housing payments.
Throughout the winter months, the council joined forces with local voluntary, faith and community organisations to offer a network of more than 80 warm, welcoming spaces across the borough which saw thousands of visitors.
Over 7,500 children eligible for free school meals participated in holiday activities during Easter, summer and Christmas of 2023 and the council distributed nearly £5.7m in food and fuel support to residents most in need through the Department for Work and Pensions’ Household Support Fund.
In the latest phase of activity, specialist advisers have been touring the borough’s libraries to offer expert advice and support to help people access financial support they are missing out on.
To find a date near you, visit Here for You - Cost of living events.
For cost-of-living advice, visit Here for you.
Keeping you in the loop
Last year Wigan Council and the team behind Borough Life asked for your feedback on how you would like to be communicated with. In our last edition of the magazine, we promised to let you know how your answers have shaped how we continue to keep you in the loop. For Borough Life magazine, this spring edition has been published a bit later so that our popular What’s On section incorporates the start of the summer season. We have included more news from across our district centres, highlighted how council decisions have had an impact on you and your communities and featured interviews with local people with fascinating stories to tell. To keep up-to-date with all the latest news and what’s on information, sign up to our weekly My Borough Life. And keep your eye out for this year’s version of the survey, which will be shared later in 2024.
Fly-tippers targeted as Keep It Clean grows
Fines for fly-tippers have been increased to £1,000 as Wigan Council sends a strong message that environmental crime will not be tolerated.
As part of the borough’s Keep It Clean campaign, which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, thousands of volunteers have been making a positive impact on the environment across the borough.
And the increase to fly-tipping fines, up from £400, which is the maximum the council is allowed to enforce, is aimed to boost efforts to keep our borough clean and tidy.
Councillor Paul Prescott, cabinet portfolio holder for planning, environmental services and transport, said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on our environment, it creates a hazard for people and local wildlife, and it really damages civic pride.
“We want the message out there loud and clear that fly-tipping is an unacceptable crime and by fining the maximum that we can, we will show offenders that we take this seriously across our borough.”
Keep It Clean initiatives included waste amnesties in every ward, an increase to the council’s free bulky waste collection offer, installing new bins, working with local volunteers, and a borough-wide campaign to raise awareness of the impact of litter and fly-tipping on our environment.
Around the borough
In Ashton-in-Makerfield, preparations are well underway for the town’s levelling up project. Funding worth £6.6m was secured last year that will help refresh the town centre, improve walking and cycling routes and create community spaces. The borough’s next two Family Hubs are set to open this summer in Hindley and Atherton. These new facilities will offer a range of services under one roof and will be based at Hindley Nursery School on Mornington Road and Meadowbank Primary School, Formby Avenue, respectively.
As the summer approaches it is a great time to join the weekly walking groups and routes on offer at Standish and Howe Bridge leisure centres. Music lovers rejoice as Aspull will play host to the Wigan International Jazz Festival, Thursday July 11 to 14. It is one of the highlights of the borough’s cultural calendar featuring artists from across the globe. Tickets are on sale now. In Golborne, plans for a new rail station – the first in Greater Manchester for 20 years - have taken a step forward. A business case was submitted to central government earlier this year, following a public consultation that received more than 3,000 responses.
Protect yourself from doorstep crime
Residents are being warned of the risks of doorstep scammers and rogue traders.
On many occasions, it can start with a phone call or knock on the door, but can leave people thousands of pounds out of pocket with sub-standard works to homes or gardens. But there are simple steps to help safeguard yourself.
And you may like to become a neighbourhood champion to help raise awareness in your community.
Ian Kelsall, from Wigan Council’s trading standards team, said: “Please use our local Good Trader Scheme. Each trader commits to a code of practice as you can see how well they have been rated by previous customers.
“Avoid paying all the money upfront and in cash. Paying for a service before it’s finished means it’s harder to get the money back if the work is sub-standard, or hasn’t been completed.
“Reputable traders will be happy to provide you with a written quote and leave it with you, so you have time to think about it.
“Get multiple quotes from different tradespeople and don’t be pressured.
“Remember; all responsible contractors should have the facility to accept debit or credit card payments. This matters because the way you pay for things affects your rights if there’s a dispute.”
For more information trading standards and Neighbourhood Champions, visit Neighbourhood Champion.
Rotary Club’s big year will include a Believe Star
A Wigan Borough organisation renowned for helping worthy causes will be given a Believe Star in its centenary year. Wigan Rotary Club turned 100 earlier this month with the bestowing of the star coinciding with its anniversary celebrations. The community organisation is well known for establishing Wigan and Leigh Hospice in 1983 and has donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to local, national and international causes. A star unveiling ceremony will be held on a date to be confirmed later in 2024.
Top names sign-up for town centre regeneration
A redevelopment scheme in Wigan town centre has seen two significant updates since the turn of the year.
Firstly, construction giants Galliford Try were unveiled as the construction partner for the first phase of the project to replace the former Galleries complex.
This was followed a few weeks later with the announcement that major hotel firm, Hampton by Hilton, have come on board for the six-storey, 144-bedroom hotel, which is part of the site.
Wigan Council and its development partner Cityheart are overseeing the regeneration project that includes a new market hall, cinema, leisure facilities, housing, retail and restaurants.
Graham Dodd, managing director development, Hilton UK and Ireland, said: “Our partnership with Wigan Council marks an exciting new chapter. We were impressed by the council and Cityheart’s vision.”
Darren Parker, managing director for Galliford Try Building North West, said: “The Galleries project will create a real landmark for the town centre and we look forward to playing our part in creating high-quality facilities for local people.
Time to attend a TechMates Tea Party!
Wigan Borough residents are becoming safer and better internet users thanks to the council’s successful and expanding digital inclusion network.
Figures released to mark Safer Internet Day earlier this year show a significant rise in the number of locals who have been able to access support with online skills.
Regular TechMate Tea Parties, where unsure net users can drop-in for help with all kinds of tech issues, now take place in nine different locations across the borough – with 788 people attending a total of 168 such events in 2023.
Meanwhile, the council-led Digital Communities Partnership has grown to include 29 active partner organisations; assisting a further 1,469 adults last year and signposting 758 individuals to additional digital training and support.
Local volunteers have been at the heart of the TechMates expansion, giving up a combined 390 hours of their spare time last year to help those who are less tech-savvy. Seven of the nine regular Tea Parties are now also exclusively volunteer-led.
Sarah Platt, who hosts weekly drop-ins at Ashton Library, said: “Internet safety is the biggest thing for me; I like knowing that people are safe online. There’s a lot of bad things out there and people who are vulnerable or new to the digital age need help to be safe.
“I’d highly recommend being a TechMate. You don’t need to know everything; even if you know just a little bit about something that you’re passionate about it can take you miles!”
To find your nearest TechMate Tea Party or learn more about TechMates and the Digital Communities Partnership visit Digital Wigan.
You can also follow the Digital Wigan team on X and Instagram @DigitalWigan.