Wigan town centre plans could get £16m windfall from Government fund

Four areas in the North West will receive confirmed grants from the flagship Future High Streets Fund totalling £66.7m, in a bid to help them recover from the coronavirus pandemic and grow in future.

A further nine towns in the region have received provisional funding offers, including Wigan, which could get £16,633,691.

The cash would be spent in Wigan town centre, but council chiefs currently remain tight-lipped on the actual plans and say they will be revealed in the New Year.

Wigan Council leader Coun David Molyneux said: “It’s what we have been working very hard on. It’s something I have sent a couple of letters to ministers about, trying to push the case for Wigan.

“This is good news and welcome. We know it will make a difference with what we want to do in Wigan.”

The Government intends to work with the council to finalise its proposals for the town centre, before confirming the funding in grant offer letters.

The news comes just weeks after the local authority revealed a £130m scheme to redevelop The Galleries shopping centre, with hundreds of new homes, leisure facilities, a hotel and a new market hall alongside offices and co-working space.

Work is also ongoing to regenerate the buildings at Wigan Pier, where there will be an education centre, a food hall, micro-brewery, bar and wedding, conference and function facilities.

And the King Street masterplan aims to transform the town centre nightspot and diversify it so a wider range of people visit.

Last year, it was announced Wigan and Tyldesley would receive money from a £95m fund to revive historic shopping areas. Funding came from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Future High Street Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Wigan would use up to £1.27m to restore vacant historic buildings to help support the creation of jobs and increase footfall in the area.

The £1 billion Future High Street Funds is being used to regenerate high streets across the country, with ambitious plans involving improvements to transport infrastructure, new homes, the transformation of under-used spaces and job creation.

The funding will also help to protect and create jobs in a range of industries, delivering opportunities and prosperity to the community.

The confirmed grants for the North West include £17.6m to create a new high street and better transport links in Stretford; £14.5m to redevelop Mersey Square in Stockport and repurpose nearby vacant retail units; £9.9m to help Winsford transform its Fountain Square and make improvements to public transport; and £24.5m for new homes, road safety improvements and a permanent new space for the market in Birkenhead.

Minister for High Streets Kelly Tolhurst said: “Towns across the North West have a proud history of industry and commerce, and we are supporting them to preserve this heritage for future generations.”

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here