Plans to transform 'sleeping giant' Wigan mill complex into food hall and offices welcomed by Historic England

Wigan Council has approved the first phase of the Heaton Group’s proposals for Eckersley Mills, which will see the grade two-listed building become a food hall and offices.

Regeneration specialists plan to carry out a sensitive conversion of Mill One, with the ground floor becoming a 22,000 sq ft food hall, featuring a series of individual stalls and a micro-brewery, similar to the popular Altrincham Market.

The upper three floors will be used for offices, including the Heaton Group’s headquarters, while there will be a rooftop extension providing additional work and events space.

In total, the scheme will create close to 80,000 sq ft of office space and almost 400 jobs.

Trevor Mitchell, Historic England’s director for the North, said: “The Eckersley Mill complex has been a sleeping giant for too long. Big sites demand bold responses and a strong mix of uses. The food court and office space will create a something fresh for the area, while the new windows and roof terrace will reinvigorate the mill as a key landmark.”

He added: “There’s enormous potential right across Wigan and the North West for levelling up through re-using these important historic mills which once shaped how we live. These buildings can be thriving, creative spaces with real heritage and community value, providing jobs, space for leisure, retail and much-needed homes.

"By sensitively re-using existing buildings, we can also make a significant contribution to getting to net zero by 2050 as the emissions from demolition and rebuilding from scratch are avoided.”

The plan represents the first phase of a £200m masterplan for the 17-acre Eckersley Mills site.

A planning application to restore Mill Three and create 137 loft-style apartments has also been submitted and will be considered by the council in coming weeks.

The wider masterplan for the site is currently being discussed with Wigan Council and will be made public later this year.

John Heaton, managing director of the Heaton Group, said: “We are a Wigan business, and this is a special scheme for us because we live and work in the town and know how important it is. We understand it will bring a host of positive benefits to Wigan, but we also know it must be done right.

“We want to bring life back to the mills. That is why we are committed to saving as much as we can. We are breathing new life into a neglected asset. For too long this is a site that has suffered from a lack of vision and investment. Our plans are all about rescuing what we can and creating something the people of Wigan can be proud of.

“These plans will create jobs and attract new businesses into the town. It is an ambitious project, but we have a track record of delivering high quality developments across the North West, often on complex, brownfield sites like this.”

Eckersley Mills was once the largest cotton-producing site in the region and contains buildings constructed between 1883 and 1920.

The Heaton Group is also exploring plans to develop a purpose-built industrial estate close to the Eckersley Mills site, where it will accommodate as many of the existing tenants as possible.