The RSPCA submits plans for a major new animal welfare centre in Wigan

The RSPCA has submitted plans for a major new specialist centre in Wigan aimed at transforming care available to animals rescued from cruelty and neglect across the region.

The proposed centre at Mossley Hall in Lowton represents a significant investment in animal welfare and would bring specialist veterinary care, assessment, rehabilitation, behavioural support and rehoming services for animals rescued by the RSPCA together on one purpose built site.

The plans are being brought forward in response to increasing demand for the RSPCA’s services, particularly in the North West, where the charity is experiencing what it describes as a capacity crisis.

Its centres are currently full, and with no dedicated national RSPCA rehabilitation and rehoming centre for all major domestic pets, in the region, many animals rescued by frontline teams are cared for in emergency boarding facilities while they wait for space.

Cassie Newman, executive director of animal welfare operations, said:

“This is a major milestone in our ambition to transform animal welfare provision across the North West and give thousands of rescued animals the specialist care they urgently need.

“Demand for our services is increasing, our existing centres are full and too many animals are having to wait for the specialist veterinary care, rehabilitation and behavioural support they need.

“The proposed centre would bring those services together in one purpose-built location, helping us improve outcomes for animals and give them the best possible chance of recovery and a good life.

“We are extremely grateful to everyone who attended one of our consultation events, reviewed the proposals or shared their feedback with us. We have listened carefully to the views expressed and will continue to engage with the local community as the application progresses.”

More than a quarter of all dogs, cats and small pets rescued by the RSPCA last year came from the area that would be served by the proposed centre, with 5,072 animals needing care.

At the same time, the RSPCA is responding to a growing number of complex multi-animal household cases, which can result in many animals requiring urgent care at once, alongside more animals arriving with complex medical and behavioural needs requiring longer-term rehabilitation.

The site would complement, rather than replace, the work of local RSPCA branches and their animal centres and veterinary clinics.

It would add much-needed specialist services for animals rescued by the RSPCA, while Branches continue their vital work rehabilitating and rehoming animals and providing welfare veterinary services in their communities.

The new centre would not treat privately owned pets; low-cost welfare veterinary care for eligible local pet owners would continue to be provided by RSPCA branch partners such as RSPCA Wigan, Leigh & District, Bolton, Bury and Oldham, and other local services through their existing veterinary clinics.

The proposed centre would include veterinary facilities for animals in RSPCA care, areas for intake and assessment, rehabilitation and recovery spaces, rehoming and behavioural support, as well as education and community space.

Mossley Hall was identified following an extensive assessment of more than 30 potential locations across the North West. The site is considered to offer the space, accessibility and setting needed to create a purpose-built centre capable of supporting animals rescued from cruelty and neglect across the region.

Recognising the site’s location, the proposals adopt a low-rise, landscape-led design, with buildings arranged in smaller clusters to reduce their visual impact.

The scheme would retain existing trees and hedgerows wherever possible, alongside native planting and new habitats that would deliver at least 10 per cent biodiversity net gain on site.

Alongside specialist animal welfare facilities, the centre would provide opportunities for education, training, volunteering and partnerships with local organisations and colleges.

The proposals are also expected to support approximately 120 jobs, representing a significant investment in both animal welfare and the local economy.

The submission follows a four-week public consultation. A total of 272 feedback forms were received, with almost two-thirds of respondents saying they were supportive or very supportive of the proposals.

Feedback received during the consultation has helped shape the final scheme, including changes to the site layout. The main building and veterinary clinic have been moved further back, around the location of the existing farm buildings, while the proposed car parking has been relocated away from the frontage so it can be more effectively screened from Byrom Lane.

The RSPCA says that questions and concerns raised around traffic and access, the Green Belt, landscape, ecology and the future operation of the centre have also been carefully considered and are addressed through the plans and supporting assessments submitted with the application.

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