Wigan is an area looking to prosper in the battle to close the Greater Manchester’s north-south divide

Dubbed the Wigan and Bolton Growth Corridor running along the M61, there are six key sites that the Greater Manchester Strategy is looking to boost growth and prosperity – to match that of south Manchester.

Speaking to the confident places scrutiny committee at Wigan Town Hall, David Proctor, Wigan Council’s director of economy and growth, told councillors that this was the idea for “balancing prospects in this part of the region” and “not just the south of the county.”

The Wigan and Bolton Growth Corridor would join the GM Western Gateway, Central Growth Cluster, North East Growth Corridor, Eastern Growth Cluster and Airport City and Southern Growth Corridor as part of this GM-wide plan.

The idea behind this strategy is to bring jobs and homes to some of Greater Manchester’s most deprived communities by driving innovation and creating new spaces, the chamber heard.

The key ambitions of these "Growth Locations” are to be greener, fairer and more prosperous.

These Local Investment Frameworks in development sites include:

South of Hindley

This consists of 2,000 new homes on brownfield land. Wigan Council has the majority land ownership. Multiple landownerships on remainder including Peel.

The Council and Peel submitted a joint outline planning application as part of the HIF bid process but an application has not been determined. A link road through the site will be required.

Wigan Pier Quarter and Eckersley Mill

A masterplan and vision of the area has been developed to develop a high quality waterfront urban mixed use quarter. Key projects in the quarter include – Eckersley Mill, Ambulance Site, The Pier Centre and Trencherfield Mill.

Wigan Station Gateway

Proposals to develop a first class gateway to Wigan creating between connections between the two stations (Walgate and North Western) and linked to the HS2 opportunity.

Westwood Park

Site to bring forward 400 new homes and local amenity including new nursery, community centre and retail. New employment space aimed at advanced manufacturing space linked to Wigan College

Wigan Town Centre

Masterplan prepared and work now underway to redevelop Wigan town centre building upon HS2 opportunity. Key projects include King Street, The Galleries, Wigan Pier Corridor, Eckersley Mill and District heat energy network. HS2 Growth Strategy also under development.

Chequerbent roundabout and Gibfield area

Area includes West of Gibfield in the proposed Places for Everyone allocation for 500 new homes and 45,500m sq of employment floorspace and connectivity across the border to Bolton and the potential Hulton Park development

Not as easy as it looks

Despite the promise of a more balanced economy, councillors pointed out that there seemed to be a larger emphasis on southern parts of the region in the overall plan.

The strategy was welcomed by councillors in principle, but there were serious concerns around road and transport infrastructure – and new spaces and houses would only ‘add to this’.

“Better connectivity between Wigan and Bolton has been needed for some time,” Coun Danny Fletcher said, alluding to the link road connecting M6 and M61 already in motion.

Chair of the committee Coun John O’Brien added that traffic jams are a common occurrence through the borough itself.

It is no secret that councillors and residents in the borough have been crying out for change in transport links – which is why Mr Proctor went on to highlight plans for "quality bus transit corridor between Wigan and Bolton town centres”.

He added that they are readying Wigan North Western station for HS2 trains and more intensive use of the Wigan-Atherton-Manchester and Wigan-Bolton-Manchester rail lines.

“The Corridor is already an excellent location for both logistics and manufacturing businesses, in part due to its gateway location to both Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region facilitated by connections to the M6, M58 and the Port of Liverpool,” Mr Proctor said in his report.

“Key developments such as the logistics park at M6 Junction 25 in Wigan and the Logistics North site in Bolton, provide major clusters of warehousing and distribution activity for the region.

“The Corridor has also one of the biggest clusters of food manufacturers in the UK, with employers including Warburtons, Heinz and Pataks already located in and around the area.

"The Growth Location can support considerable new employment development which would continue to build upon the established strengths in manufacturing, distribution and logistics.

“Proposals in the corridor include the delivery of 140,000m sq of distribution and industrial space at Junction 25 of the M6 and also significant employment development at the West of Gibfield site.”

Coun George Davies raised his concerns that all this development could see Liverpool and Greater Manchester merge into one with Leigh as the bridge due to it being on the Cheshire border.

Coun O’Brien pointed out that the area "needs these jobs” now the industrial jobs that made Wigan what it is today have all gone.

Mr Proctor added that this is a competitive market and if the borough wants these jobs they need to get ahead so they are not “left behind”.

“Everyone must have a fair deal within the larger plan”, he added.

In total 12,000 new homes would come as part of this package, with key sites being at South Hindley (2,000 homes) and North Leigh (1,700 homes), councillors were told.

Upskilling, growth of current health and education facilities and improvements of town centres are all included in this plan endorsed by the committee.