Contractors move into treacherous Wigan mill in the name of public safety

For years Pagefield Mill in Wigan has been subject to a string of closure orders to prevent locals from going into the dangerous site.

Any trespasser has been warned they could face an unlimited fine and/or imprisonment for entering the site.

The mill, built in the late 1800s and most recently legitimately used as an annexe to Wigan and Leigh College, is now in a heavy state of disrepair and is treacherous for anyone who enters – which is why Wigan Council has now employed contractors to control the site boundaries and clear away hazardous areas.

Even though the site is privately owned, the council has decided to bolster defences and clear rubble from the area in the name of public safety. Contractors have been lined up to put steel flooring over any opening in the ground floor, seal off any stairwells, remove external staircases, repair the perimeter fence, install “dangerous building” signs and apply anti-vandal paint to any potential climbing points on the fence.

Coun Dane Anderton, portfolio holder for police, crime and civil contingencies said: “Wigan Council is continuing to work closely with our partners to secure this site for the safety of our residents.

“We are persisting in our efforts to engage with the building owner as we have no legal responsibility for the building, but we do have a moral obligation to keep our residents safe in exceptional circumstances.

“I am pleased to see this package of works all designed to prevent people from gaining access.

“Our message, alongside our emergency service colleagues, remains the same; please do not enter the site due to its unsafe condition as you are putting yourself and others at risk.”

Last year the council released a video of the inside to show the level of disrepair of the building – urging everyone to avoid entering the property due to it being dangerous. A repeated number of incidents of vandalism have worsened the level of decay of the building over the years.