New discount Wigan housing scheme gets backing from high-ranking parliamentarian

Award-winning charity, Housing People, Building Communities (HPBC) was granted permission to develop the vacant St William’s church and presbytery at Ince into affordable homes. The development, working in collaboration with Prima Housing Group work, has now started.

Richard Bacon MP, a leading exponent of community housebuilding, unveiled the exciting development to VIP guests including Wigan Council leader David Molyneux, Coun Susan Gambles, cabinet member for housing and welfare, and Ince ward councillor Janice Sharratt and Martyn Smethurst.

Representatives from facilitators and supporters of the scheme, including Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority who are providing essential grant funding, Wienerberger, local charity Belmont CH, Greater Manchester Community Led Homes and the Archdiocese of Liverpool who gifted the church and its grounds were given a guided tour.

The initiative to develop St William’s will help cut the cost of home ownership in the town by up to £10,000 by offering buyers, known as home partners, the opportunity to work on the development.

It is the first time home buyers in Wigan will be able to use their own sweat equity to contribute towards the deposit they need to purchase their homes.

Mr Bacon, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group of Self-Build, Custom and Community Housebuilding and Place-making, said: “There is a great need for affordable housing and the need for supportive communities is even greater. HPBC’s unique model offers both. More projects like this around the country would play a major role in creating sustainable solutions to the housing crisis.

"We just need more folks like HBPC with both the imagination to see what is possible and the knowledge of how to make it happen.”

HPBC, a not-for-profit charitable organisation, dedicated to changing lives by addressing the housing crisis with a combination of self-build, volunteering and philanthropy and Prima, a provider of quality and safe affordable homes, have joined forces to shape a new community.

Coun Molyneux said: “Developments like this makes huge changes to people’s lives. This unique ‘sweat equity’ model allows people to get on the property ladder, giving people hope and choices and a ready-made community when they move in which is an incredibly important aspect of the project.

“St William’s is a vital part of the Ince community, and the work Housing People Building Communities have done to take residents along on the journey with them and will retain the church’s original features is really impressive.

“Wigan Council is proud to work alongside Housing People Building Communities and we fully commit our support to the project.”

The site on Ince green Lane has remained empty since 2017 and the church will be converted into 10 two and three-bed houses/apartments. Meanwhile the presbytery into three-bed, two-bed and one-bed apartments and the grounds behind will accommodate 14 three-bed houses. In total 27 new affordable homes will be built.

Visitors to the development were given a tour of the building to highlight the design which will incorporate the architecture of the church to conserve and retain the character, history and charm of the building, an early twentieth-century red brick lancet Gothic-style church built in 1911.

HPBC Chief Executive Liza Parry said:”The development is already taking shape and we were delighted to show our guests, from partners, politicians and supporters to funders and home partners, what progress has already been made.

“The launch of St William’s is a milestone for Wigan with a development which we hope will make a real difference to local people and a blueprint for the future. We are now actively seeking Home Partners who want to call the church their home.

The homes, which will be completed by February 2025, will give the opportunity for the home buyers, their family and friends to utilise their own skills, and learn new skills, ranging from on-site labour, painting and decorating, and landscaping to admin, marketing and IT support.