Plans have been approved to bring back into use part of a listed former cotton mill.

Wigan Council has agreed plans for the building known as Mill 3 at the Eckersley’s Mills complex on Swan Meadow Road – now better known as Cotton Works.

Mill 3 is a Grade II listed building and dates from approximately 1900. It is a four-storey brick building with associated boiler house, engine house and chimney.

The building is currently vacant. The mill was most recently in partial use as a car mechanics with some upper floors used as a go-kart track.

placeholder image — How Mill 3 at Cotton Works looks now

Planning permission has been granted to developer and operator Heaton Group to use Mill 3 for commercial use.

The development would create 10 commercial units, nine throughout the existing four stories and one within the existing boiler house.

A planning officer report said that the units will operate under a flexible planning use allowing the introduction of a mix of uses including retail, office, sport, recreation, health services and light industrial.

The report added: “The wider site extends to approximately 5.75 hectares and is occupied by a series of Grade II listed buildings and a collection of more modern buildings that form the Swan Meadow industrial estate.

How the currently part-derelict Mill 3 at The Cotton Works would look once transformed into commerical buildings

“The complex originated in the 1820s and grew into a large cotton mill site. “The site is located within the Wigan Pier conservation area.

“To the immediate west of application building is Mill 2 and the former welfare building, which is now occupied by a roller rink, both of these are also Grade II listed buildings.”

Planning permission was previously approved in June 2023 for the conversion and extension of the building to 137 apartments.

That approved development included the creation of a roof-top extension and internal works involving a central atrium.

That permission this expires in June 2026 and it has not yet been implemented.

The new planning approval gives permission for the demolition of existing loading bays and a goods lift.

The existing boiler house will be repaired and the mill chimney will be retained.

Mill One is now, of course, well on the way to being completed, as it is already home to the Three Mills Alehouse, major businesses and co-working space. Next to come are a food hall and rooftop bar there.