Nando's is coming to Wigan

Plans for a new hotel and restaurant hub at Robin Park are currently under consideration by the council.

And Wigan Today can reveal the three-storey development includes an outlet for the popular Portuguese-style chicken chain.

If granted planning approval, the bid means the days of travelling over to nearby Leigh and Bolton for a Nando’s fix will soon be over.

The development will also house a Bella Italia along with the 68-bed hotel, creating dozens of jobs.

Empire Cinema will be given a face-lift as part of the plans with the new building directly opposite the entrance to the cinema.

Planning documents do not reveal which hotel operator the site is earmarked for but state it will be a “national multiple, budget hotel operator”.

The application comes weeks after a retail unit expansion was granted for a separate section of Robin Park which will include a KFC drive-through, Subway and Costa.

And follows on from the Tower Grand hotel and Galleries redevelopments in Wigan town centre being placed in doubt through lack of demand and a change of ownership, respectively.

Documents viewed by Wigan Today show the development will reduce the number of parking spaces at the front of the cinema from 116 to 62, with a further 21 reserved for the hotel.

But this will be offset by parking to the rear of the cinema being increased from 51 to 81.

They state: “The applicant has entered into agreements for lease with national multiple restaurant operators: Bella Italia and Nando’s.”

Robin Park could therefore soon be home to outlets for a KFC, Burger King, a Subway, Pizza Hut and Nando’s with a McDonalds just across the Saddle Junction.

A planning decision date has been set for April 4.