Councils promote the billion-pound investment in Wigan and Bolton ‘growth corridor’ championed by Andy Burnham
A £1bn development plan across Wigan and Bolton, which includes the Makerfield constituency currently at the centre of Britain’s political universe, was being promoted this week at a major investment conference.
The NorthFold growth corridor was to be discussed by a panel at the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), held at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.
Senior council officers from Bolton and Wigan said they would use their visit to UKREiiF to “showcase the successes of the NorthFold growth corridor.”
NorthFold is a regeneration and economic growth corridor stretching across the Wigan and Bolton boroughs.
The Makerfield parliamentary constituency stretches from Longshaw and the M6 in the west, through to Hindley in the east and contains a significant stretch of a proposed Wigan-Bolton link road between the M6 and M61 which is key to NorthFold.
The two councils will be joined by representatives from Peel Land, Deloitte and Invest in Manchester for a panel at UKREiiF.
They said the intention was to “build on the more than billion pounds worth of public and private investment that NorthFold has already attracted.”
The NorthFold Growth Corridor, including Makerfield, runs from the M6 in the west, across to the M61 to the A666 in the east, taking in the towns of Wigan, Bolton, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Leigh and Westhoughton.
Mayor Burnham, who is Labour’s candidate in Makerfield, has been a key champion of NorthFold.
In April he announced Good Growth funding which included £69.8m for the Park Avenue link road west of Bolton, the first phase of the wider 18km M61 to M6 NorthFold road which he said would cut congestion through Westhoughton and help service a potential golf resort at Hulton Park which is bidding to host the Ryder Cup golf tournament in 2035.
He said that section of road would ease persistent road congestion, particularly at the Chequerbent roundabout, close to the M61.
The associated Lee Hall development, which would mean Park Avenue would be built, consists of 1,450 homes.
Peel Land said that project, for which planning permission is still pending, would lead to a major new park in Westhoughton, community facilities, a care home and school, plus allotments.
Recently two Wigan MPs urged the borough council to reject plans for almost 1,500 new homes in Leigh, which is part of the NorthFold development.
Detailed plans have been submitted for a new community of 1,491 homes and a section of trunk road at North Leigh Park.
In a letter to Wigan Council’s planning team, both Makerfield MP Josh Simons, who has since announced he is stepping down to make way for Burnham’s parliamentary bid and Jo Platt who represents Leigh, said they thought the plans were not suitable.
In the joint letter they said they ‘will not support a single new house without the right community infrastructure first’.
In March, the government committed £153m to build part of a link road between Wigan and Bolton included in the Northfold plans.
The route, to connect the A49 in Wigan to the A58 in Hindley is due to start by March 2029 at the latest.
The MPs said that section of the link road "does not depend on a single house being built or a penny from developers.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s forum in Leeds, the councils said NorthFold has attracted is in excess of £1bn already, "demonstrating the partnership’s strong performance and high investor confidence in the long-term potential of Bolton, Wigan, and the NorthFold growth corridor as a whole.”
NorthFold plans include an international golf resort at Hulton Park in Bolton if a bid for the 2035 Ryder Cup is successful, £30m awarded to restore Haigh Hall in Wigan, the £135m Fettlers redevelopment in Wigan, the £250m redevelopment of Crompton Place in Bolton and more than £500m of transport investment.
Around 10 million square feet of employment and commercial space is set to be created at Logistics North, Health Innovation Bolton, Hexagon Park and Middlebrook.
More than 10,000 new homes are planned including the Lee Hall development, a mixed use development at Gibfield Park and North Leigh.
The housing plans, some of which is on green land, have faced opposition from many living close and from some councillors.
David Proctor, assistant director for planning and regeneration at Wigan Council, said: “What makes NorthFold different is the strength of the partnership and the clarity of the pipeline.
“Working closely with our partners, we’re aligning planning, infrastructure and investment to de-risk delivery and create a coherent corridor proposition so investors can see the opportunity and communities can see the benefits.”
“What was once a vision is now a deliverable, joined-up programme.”
What used to be called Route 225 has been on the local wish list since a couple of years after World War Two before the two motorways it would now interconnect were even built.
It has been on and off the statute book ever since as political winds about roads and public transport have changed.
And after all this time only sections of it have been constructed, including the relatively recently completed A49 link road between Westwood Park and Goose Green.
In March the Government announced £153.5m in funding for a highway connecting the A49 in Wigan to the A58 in Hindley.
At the time Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: “This is a transformational moment for people in the area – a project talked about for over 70 years is finally being delivered. It will ease congestion, unlock new jobs and make a real difference to everyday life.”