New flexible working space to open in the heart of Wigan

More and more businesses are asking employees to split their working time between the office and home, after lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic highlighted the benefits of ditching a commute and operating remotely.

IWG aims to meet the sharply rising demand for flexible working spaces in the area and has already opened offices in other areas of the North West, including Altrincham, Chester and Warrington.

It is now planning to open a new work space at Westward House, on King Street, in Wigan town centre, at the end of February.

The site will be operated by global company Regus and include private offices, state-of-the-art meeting rooms, co-working and creative spaces.

The building is less than 100m from Wigan Wallgate and Wigan North Western railway stations, and will provide areas for established firms and start-ups across a wide range of industries.

Mark Dixon, chief executive officer and founder of IWG, said: “We are establishing a stronger and much-needed footprint in the Greater Manchester region with this latest opening.

"As an important business hub, Wigan is a fantastic place for us to boost our expansion plans.

"The need for high-quality flexible work spaces continues to soar as hybrid working becomes the new normal.

“Our opening in Wigan comes at a time when more and more companies are discovering that flexible working boosts employee happiness and satisfaction, while helping the environment.

"Our workplace model is also proven to increase productivity and allows for a business to scale up or down at significantly reduced costs.”

IWG already has flexible work spaces in 3,500 locations across 120 countries, with members able to access all of the locations and business services via its app.

Unprecedented demand from companies and workers looking for hybrid working solutions since the pandemic means IWG is aiming to add 1,000 new locations over the next year.

It says hybrid working offers benefits for both workers and employees, including a significantly lower cost base for companies, with an average saving of £8,000 per employee.