Campaigners write to Wigan MP Lisa Nandy over Haigh Hall concerns

Creative directors Al and Al announced last month that Wigan Council bosses had not renewed their contracts to work on the multi-million pound project to transform the historic building.

The Friends of Haigh Hall Heritage and Open Access for All raised concerns about their departure and launched a petition calling for them to be reinstated, which has more than 1,100 signatures.

The group has now written to Wigan MP and culture secretary Lisa Nandy to highlight concerns about the future of the development.

It follows the family of artist Theodore Major – whose work was going to be exhibited there – withdrawing from the project and the 30th Earl of Crawford, whose ancestors lived at Haigh Hall, expressing his upset that Al and Al were no longer involved.

The letter states: “Recent decisions by Wigan Council, including the non-renewal of Al and Al’s contract without consultation, threaten to undermine the cultural and heritage potential this project promised. Al and Al’s vision, shaped through extensive community engagement, aimed to make Haigh Hall a cultural destination of national significance. Their work built essential connections with the Lindsay family and the Major family, whose £200 million art collection was central to the Levelling Up bid. With the withdrawal of this collection, the future of Haigh Hall’s funding and sustainability is now perhaps in jeopardy.”

The letter said the community’s support for the original scheme was “clear” and there were concerns Haigh Hall could lose “its unique heritage focus, along with the economic and community wealth-building benefits it promised for Wigan and the North West”.

The letter continued: “In light of these concerns, many believe that an independent charitable trust would best protect Haigh Hall, allowing it to remain under council ownership while being professionally managed for heritage preservation and long-term sustainability. This model has succeeded in safeguarding other historic sites across the UK and would help protect Haigh Hall from political influences.

“We urge you, as our MP and secretary of state, to help ensure the project’s original vision remains intact. We ask that you encourage Wigan Council to consider reinstating Al and Al’s leadership and to prioritise the community’s cultural and economic interests in shaping Haigh Hall’s future.”

A spokesperson for Ms Nandy confirmed she had received the letter and that she would be offering a meeting with Friends of Haigh Hall Heritage and Open Access for All to discuss the future of the building.

They said she fully recognised that Haigh Hall was a huge asset to the borough and that the Friends of Haigh Hall group have been instrumental in helping the restoration project get this far.

They also said that she had a recent meeting with Wigan Council to discuss the future of Haigh Hall and to seek reassurances that the project remains on track. She was assured that it was and she will be visiting Haigh Hall in the next few weeks to see this for herself.