THE sound of a wrecking ball striking concrete will be music to the ears of long-suffering residents living near to Wigan’s most infamous eyesore.
The Borsdane Shopping Precinct in Hindley will soon be no more as demolition teams have started the process of dismantling the concrete monstrosity dubbed “little Beirut”.
However, council planners said that the demolition and clearance effort may take a few more weeks to complete at the Borsdane Avenue site.
A spokesman said: “Work has been ongoing since mid-October and demolition is expected to be completed in early November.
“The current position is that demolition is up to the former Ladbrokes unit and the clearance work will then take a further two to three weeks to be completed fully.”
The uninspiring 1960s style centre is set to be replaced with a new row of retail outlets comprising five shops anchored by a Spar convenience store. Further traders are set to be signed in the near future although one of the spaces will be taken by a bookmakers, it has been confirmed.
The Borsdane Precinct has been the subject of more than a decade’s worth of speculation regarding its future as legal arguments between successive owners and development planners has thwarted any progress.
Planners and legal officers worked closely with Clowes Development, one of the largest private property development groups in the UK, to ensure that the current plans became a reality, a move that was welcomed with open arms by exasperated residents.
During its years in limbo, Borsdane was a target for arsonists and scrap scavengers who plundered it of its copper wiring and lead flashings.
Makerfield MP Yvonne Fovargue said: “This is a visible sign of the hard work that has taken place to date. The agreement signals a brighter future for Hindley.”
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