Cabinet to consider masterplan to transform Wigan town centre nightspot

Wigan Council says it wants to halt what it calls the “decline” of what was the town’s centre liveliest nightspot before the coronavirus pandemic forced its many bars and clubs to close.

It is therefore looking for the guidance to be adopted as this is required before a supplementary planning documentary can be prepared for the area.

The plan looks to diversify King Street so a wider range of people visit it, to calm the night-time economy there and to make more use of its historic buildings and attractions.

The report for the cabinet said: “In order to stem the further decline of King Street, a robust planning framework is needed to support both future development proposals and any anticipated planning enforcement action.

“The guidance will enable effective discussions and negotiations with applicants and key stakeholders at both pre-application and planning application stage, to ensure that schemes reflect the council’s ambitions of the area as part of the wider transformation of Wigan town centre.”

The council’s aims, if all achieved, would certainly change the nature of King Street considerably.

The masterplan includes showcasing the road’s historic buildings such as the Royal Court Theatre and Grimes Arcade as well as bringing empty old sites back into use.

It is hoped the street can be diversified to include a wider range of leisure attractions and businesses, which the council hopes will bring jobs and training opportunities into the town centre.

It even sees the area of King Street and College Avenue as somewhere Wiganers could potentially live, with the creation of residential homes in the area on the masterplan as part of a live-work zone.

Other ideas include improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists and linking together the whole of the town centre.

Some of King Street’s least-attractive modern buildings could also be demolished under the masterplan, with the fronts of shops and other businesses also being spruced up to make them more attractive.

King Street is a key part of the council’s aims to improve the town centre and forms part of its Future High Street Fund bid.

It is also a High Street Heritage Action Zone.

However, the report for cabinet acknowledges that the future of King Street is currently uncertain due to the social distancing rules which could be in place for some time or which could even be reintroduced after they have been removed in the event of further spikes of Covid-19 cases.

The cabinet will consider the report and make its decision on Thursday afternoon.