New 1,200 seat venue for Wigan Pier

It will be part of the Pier Quarter project which is an ongoing redevelopment of the area over the next 10 years.

The long-awaited centre will be built within Today’s Community Church and will be able to host a number of events.

And the Wigan Evening Post can today reveal plans for the new Wigan Pier Quarter are picking up pace.

It’s been a year since the council announced huge regeneration scheme for the area surrounding one of Wigan’s most famous landmarks.

Since that time, a new community garden has been built where the former nightclub once stood and is on the verge of an official opening and plans for other projects are now well on their way.

It’ll be around a decade before the project is officially completed but it’s one which will see bars, restaurants and shops built.

Work on the major performance venue is hoped to begin this year with new canal moorings and even homes included in the plans.

Deputy council leader David Molyneux said “great progress” had been made on the project.

He added: “Although it’s still in its early stages, the exciting 10 year regeneration plan for the Wigan Pier Quarter has made great progress so far. The new public car park is now open at the front of Trencherfield Mill and the community gardens are almost completed with final planting taking place shortly.

“Other development sites in the area are also being progressed. Work on the new Performance Venue on the site is expected to start later in the year.

“Today’s Community Church have been landscaping their grounds as part of the wider investment programme and very soon we’ll be looking at the buildings on site including The Way We Were, The Orwell Public House and former Education Centre, to look at new uses for them and how we can bring new activity to the area.”

The transformation is being overseen by H20 Urban, who specialise in regenerating canal side locations. They’ve previously worked on successful schemes across the UK including in Northwich, Lancaster and London.

A new commercial development off Pottery Road will also be created as well as on the former bus depot site at Southgate.