Wigan Council’s housing strategy for green affordable future

The plans, published this week, also aim to ensure communities benefit from job opportunities and encourage people to stay within the borough.

Council bosses say they are committed to growing the local housing market to support the wider vision for the borough: for more local residents to access the right home, in the right place, at the right time, with the right support where necessary.

With a rising population, the need to maintain housebuilding targets is crucial and the strategy says the council will continue to pursue the shift to development on brownfield sites.

And, to meet the demand for affordable housing, the council will continue to build significant numbers of affordable homes each year on council-owned land.

Coun Terry Halliwell, its cabinet member for housing and welfare, said: “This strategy outlines the council’s actions to achieve our objectives for housing in the borough, working to improve the quality, choice and supply of housing for current and future residents.

“We are committed to delivering high quality affordable housing for local people to help them get onto the property ladder so we can ensure they stay longer in homes and invest in their communities.”

Over the past five years (2014/15 to 2018/19) an annual average of 857 net new dwellings have been built in the borough and in 2018/19 delivery was above target at 1,350 new homes.

Community Wealth Building principles will be embedded in the approach to delivering housing with a key focus on providing more job and training opportunities with local construction businesses.

The strategy reflects the need for a sharper focus on housing to support the health and build the wealth of residents in a post-Covid-19 world.

Policies will ensure new housebuilding projects will be in line with carbon-neutral aspirations set within Greater Manchester and nationally.

The long-term environmental vision is to bring all 22,000 council homes up to carbon neutral standards by a move to more renewable energy sources and exploring new technologies.

With the borough’s elderly population set to increase, priority will be given to the needs of older residents, including those who need extra support or care to maintain their independence.

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