Plans to open food hall in historic Wigan mill - creating 500 jobs - are given the green light

Eckersley Mill, formerly the heart of the spinning industry in the town centre, will feature a series of stalls and a bar on the ground floor with an outdoor terrace that can host around 350 people.

Likened to the Baltic Market in Liverpool and Mackie Mayor in Manchester by developers Heaton Group, this food hall, estimated to be 22,000 sq ft in size, will sit below office space on the first, second and third floors above.

Up to 500 jobs could be created through the development.

The plans for the Swan Meadow Road site are only in relation to Mill 1, which is currently occupied by a gym and fitness club, wrestling club, play centre, self storage and non-food store.

At its height of production in the mid-1920s, the mills contained 253,000 spindles and 1,687 looms and employed more than 3,000 workers, forming one of the largest integrated textile production sites in the country.

The development is running alongside the rejuvenation of Wigan Pier which is set to be completed this year. This would see the famous site brought back into the fold as a wedding venue and micro-brewery.

All these redevelopments would form part of the new vision for a Wigan Pier Quarter (WPQ), which hopes to breathe new life into an area that has been left unused since the demise of Wigan Pier, made famous by George Orwell’s novel, more than a decade ago.

“This will aim is to redefine Wigan Pier Quarter not as somewhere at the edge of the town but as a place with its own centre of gravity and a clear identity of its own which is intend to revive the vitality, entrepreneurship and wealth-creation of the pier’s trading past with a vibrant urban quarter that fulfils a vital role in the 21st century economy,” the design and access statement said.

“The intention is to transform WPQ into a place that supports businesses and job creation, an economic hotspot in the borough that drives disproportionate growth.

“A place for the exchange of knowledge and ideas. An interactive community where people live, work, create, trade and socialise.

“The vision is dependent on enduring development that draws on the area’s character and heritage and is outstanding in terms of place-making, environmental performance and design. The right response lies in high quality, imaginative proposals that are financially viable and can be delivered in a range of market conditions.

“Wigan Pier Quarter should be an outstanding place to live, work, play and stay.”

Before work can begin to transform Eckersley Mill, repairs and demolition of ruined buildings must be conducted as the building has fallen victim to “decades of degradation”, an officer’s report stated. Outbuildings and sheds will be flattened to make way for a 23-space car park for staff members.

In addition to this, the most significant upgrade will be the replacement of the current windows in order to “maximise the level of light into the internal spaces”.

There will also be new lifts included in the upgrade plans.