Building work due to start on £135m project to redevelop Wigan's Galleries shopping centre

Principal contractor Galliford Try will begin work after signing agreements with Wigan Council and developer Cityheart Ltd to deliver the first phases of construction.

The firm will start by building a new 90,000 sq ft market hall, located in the heart of the town centre.

It will also do ground and enabling works across the wider site to progress the next phases of the new mixed-use neighbourhood.

As well as the new market hall, the £135m project will include a 144-bedroom Hampton by Hilton Hotel, 464 homes and a multimedia centre with a cinema, 10-lane bowling alley and indoor mini-golf.

A series of “meet the buyer” events were held over the summer for local businesses to find out how they could get involved with the project and to ensure that borough businesses benefit from the contracts and investments being made.

Council leader Coun David Molyneux said “The new market hall is at the heart of the project and set to be the first new building to open.

"Wigan is a traditional market town, receiving its Royal Charter in the 13th Century. This development will bring our market into the 21st Century, creating a vibrant, modern and thriving space for our traders and visitors to the town, ensuring it has a strong and exciting future with a lot of job opportunities for people both during and after construction.”

Darren Jones, development director for Cityheart, added: “We are delighted to be working with Galliford Try to bring forward the next stage of redevelopment at this transformational Wigan Galleries site. We are progressing the delivery of the site in various phases in accordance with the planning consents we have secured.

"Throughout the phased development and once the scheme is complete, the focus will be on community wealth-building with job opportunities for local businesses and residents.

"We’re proud to be part of delivering a destination which will enhance the offer in Wigan town centre and bolster the economy in the borough for many years to come.”

Work started on site in July 2022, with large-scale demolition of the 1990s shopping mall and site investigation works already completed by BCEGI and PP O’Connor.

Archaeological investigations have been carried out on the site, with more than 25 exploratory trenches dug on the large tract of land between Market Place and New Market Street as experts looked to unearth historical treasures.

During the first phase of demolition, jobs apprenticeships and training placements were provided through projects with Wigan Youth Zone and Wigan and Leigh College.

The complete scheme is set to create circa 660 full-time jobs, generating gross value added (GVA) impacts of £26.5m per year.

Darren Parker, managing director for Galliford Try Building North West, said: “We are pleased to be getting under way with this initial construction phase of the Wigan Galleries project and look forward to working with all the stakeholders involved to deliver social value back into the local community and support Wigan’s investment.”