Former Wigan opencast site to get makeover
Plans to complete the rejuvenation of a prominent part of the Wigan landscape scarred by years of opencast mining have taken a step forward thanks to National Highways’ M6 junction 21a to junction 26 Smart motorway project.
Work to complete the Sandyforth Green Gateway at Winstanley, which sits alongside the northbound M6 at Bryn between junction 25 and 26, is now moving ahead again following an agreement between Wigan Council and National Highways.
The £260m motorway upgrade was fully-opened to traffic in December for National Highways by SMP Alliance on-site assembly partner Costain and included adding an extra lane as well as new technology and emergency areas in both directions along the M6 between Warrington and Wigan.
In a multi-million pound deal funded by National Highways and Wigan Council, with support from City of Trees, Sandyforth will become part of the Wigan Greenheart with a 30-year plan to bring it back to life.
National Highways is contributing £2m as part of its commitment to the environment and aim of providing a legacy for the motorway project with the money supporting stewardship of the site for years to come.
As well as helping to “rewild” the old opencast site, work can now forge ahead to complete the creation of new wetlands, grassland and areas of woodland.
Alongside new wildlife habitats the site will also be open to visitors with a network of informal footpaths also being delivered.
It’s a far cry from plans in the early 2000s which aimed to turn the then derelict site into a rubbish dump. However locals, led by the then Makerfield MP Ian McCartney, campaigned against them and they came to nothing. Eventually the area was landscaped.
Dave Cooke, National Highways senior project manager, said: “National Highways is committed to reducing the impact of our motorways and major A roads on the environment and communities they serve.
“For those of us on the M6 project supporting initiatives like the Sandyforth Green Gateway is a real opportunity to deliver a lasting legacy and support local aspirations for a greener borough and enhanced outdoor leisure facilities.”
Coun Paul Prescott, Wigan Council’s cabinet portfolio holder for environment, said: “We are intensely proud of our Greenheart which makes up around two-thirds of our borough. Working with National Highways and the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Sandyforth in Bryn will be a stepping stone for native wildlife, and a haven for local people to enjoy.
“It is also great for our planet; rewetting the grasslands will ensure that carbon stores are kept locked up from directly entering back into our atmosphere, helping the environment and specialised wildlife is given the chance to once again thrive.”
The M6 upgrade started in February 2021 and SMP Alliance staff from Costain and the wider supply chain have already spent time on the Sandyforth site delivering improvements and sharing engineering expertise to improve water courses running through the land.
Eventually the site, which also borders local Winstanley Road, will be screened from the motorway by some 20,000 trees already planted through the separate City of Trees initiative – a different partnership between Wigan Council and Greater Manchester’s community forest charity.
The National Highways funding will allow Wigan Council, working alongside Lancashire Wildlife Trust, to finish the job and open up the site to local people and other visitors.
Committing to the Sandyforth project is one of the M6 upgrade’s most sizeable contributions to local communities along the Warrington to Wigan corridor – but it’s just one of dozens of social value projects National Highways, SMP Alliance, Costain and supply chain contractors have supported over the last four years. Just a handful of these were highlighted last spring when work to help a local charities, sports clubs and schools as well the installation of a services memorial bench were celebrated.
The government company, which operates, maintains and improves the country’s motorways and major A roads, is committed to enhancing the environment along the strategic road network through money from its designated funds programme – worth almost £1bn in the 2020 to 2025 road investment period which ended last month (April 2025).
Stephen Elderkin, Environmental Sustainability Division lead for National Highways, said: “We’re committed to significantly improving biodiversity near our road network, and projects such as this are an important in putting the strategic road network at the heart of nature’s recovery.
“At National Highways, our work goes beyond operating, maintaining and improving roads; we’re investing in the environment and communities surrounding our network, helping to unlock the creation and enhancement of habitats, and this is an example of the difference we can make with designated funding.”
In detail, National Highways’ contribution to the Sandyforth project includes:
providing woodland ground flora seed across more than four hectares and grassland seed covering 24 hectares
creating seven ponds or wetland areas
erecting fencing to protect grassland and woodland
supporting 30 years of grassland maintenance
delivering an ecology and biodiversity walkover survey and report after the first five years
Money to support the Sandyforth project has comes from National Highways’ Environment Designated Fund which is helping National Highways to operate in an environmentally responsible way, while making sure sustainability shapes its work from start to finish.
National Highways has a 2050 vision to provide a road network that supports the country’s transport needs but also protects and strengthens the natural environment and community wellbeing. More information about its Environmental Sustainability Strategy is available on the National Highways website.