Major announcement due ‘shortly’ on re-development of iconic Wigan Pier

Although no exact timescale was given, it is hoped work will soon get under way to transform the site and to launch it as a major visitor attraction, both for people in Wigan and further afield.

One of the ideas mooted on a tour of the canalside buildings for major stakeholders was using it for Northern Soul all-nighters, to capitalise on the massive explosion of interest in the music phenomenon as a result of the 50th anniversary of Wigan Casino.

Among those looking around the site off Wallgate were chief executive of Wigan Council, Alison McKenzie-Folan, Step Places managing director Harinder Dhaliwal, GMCA night-time economy advisor Sacha Lord, and leader of Wigan Council, David Molyneux.

Mr Dhaliwal said he would be looking to make an announcement "shortly" regarding a new operator, after it was announced he had parted company with his original partner, The Old Courts.

This was explained at the time as due to a post-Covid surge in alternative offers from national event companies.

Mr Dhaliwal said: "The buildings are in a good state of repair - they are wind and watertight, and the windows have been replaced. They are already being used for pop-up events and are ready to be brought fully back into use."

Cllr Molyneux said: "The buildings are of an excellent standard, now it's just a question of getting the ball over the line.

"It's an iconic building and a world-renowned address. With the right fit-out, people will be coming here not just from Wigan, but from over the whole of the north-west.

"The site lends itself to entertainment and hospitality services providing food and drink, as well as workshop and office space."

Mr Lord added: "To see this site being brought back to life is phenomenal. It's a blank canvas for something exciting to happen in Wigan.

"Spaces like this are a great opportunity and I'd love to see a Northern Soul all-nighter here."

Developers Step Places said in August it wanted to “engage with the wider market for the best possible opportunity” for the scheme and so had put the operator role out to tender with the mutual agreement from its original partner, the Old Courts, which can still put in its own bid.

While in the long run it might mean that the end products at the canalside buildings are more ambitious than before, it also meant that another completion deadline – the latest being for this autumn – came and went on a project first unveiled in 2018 with a finish date given as 12 months later.

Major structural issues, a pandemic and a subsequent struggle to find suitable contractors and fixed prices due to workload backlogs and galloping inflation all conspired to thwart those ambitions.

Step Places have estimated there could be an announcement of a successful bidder towards the end of this year.

Once that has happened, a contractor is still ready and able to begin fitting-out work on the three historic premises which have already undergone millions of pounds worth of restoration and weatherproofing work. And the estimated time for that final phase was and still is 16 to 20 weeks.

This means the old Way We Were museum, Orwell and education centre could be buzzing with life next spring.

The development in total comprises 55,000ft sq of office space, events and commercial spaces for food and beverage outlets, as well as leisure, retail, and community facilities.

Managing director of Step Places, Harinder Dhaliwal, said: “We have invested significantly in the development of the Wigan Pier scheme, with Piers 2, 3 and 4 we are in discussion with events and hospitality operators who want to be located in these iconic buildings, we are committed to delivering the best possible facility for Wigan and the North West.

“We are delighted to see a strong interest in Wigan Pier from the culture, leisure and hospitality sector. We are now in the process of reaching the preferred operator status.

“Our ambition from the start was to put this area back on the map as one of the premier cultural destinations in the North, and going out to the wider market has created new opportunity for the pier buildings.”