'Significant' development taking shape with 41 affordable council homes on brownfield land

Wigan Council is delivering 41 new council homes across three sites in Leigh.

Working alongside housebuilder The Casey Group, construction is underway on nine family homes at Briar Grove in Leigh and 24 one-bedroom homes at Keble Grove.

Eight bungalows are also being built by Highall Construction at nearby Yates Street.

The developments will each transform previously developed brownfield land, bringing vacant sites back into use and providing affordable housing for local residents.

Coun Susan Gambles, portfolio holder for housing and welfare, said: “It’s fantastic to see progress being made at the three social housing sites in Leigh, highlighting the council’s commitment to deliver high-quality, affordable homes in communities where residents want to live.

“Designed to be highly insulated, energy efficient, and genuinely affordable, the developments will help us to meet the priorities of local people and address the growing housing demand across the borough."

With an unprecedented and growing demand for affordable housing across the country, Wigan Council’s new build housing programme was adopted to hopefully increase the supply of sustainable, affordable homes across the borough.

A major part of this strategy is to prioritise brownfield development where possible, with the sites at Briar Grove, Yates Street, and Keble Grove previously occupied with garages, housing, and shrub land that was linked to anti-social behaviour.

Each development will prioritise people on the council housing waiting list with a connection to the local area. The developers have also committed to employing local workers and offering apprenticeship opportunities to students from local schools and colleges.

Coun Dane Anderton, portfolio holder for regeneration and development, said: “When it comes to house building, the council wants to put forward a brownfield first approach wherever possible, so building houses on sites like these is extremely significant.”

Jo Platt, MP for Leigh and Atherton, added: “Increasing the supply of social housing locally has long been a priority of mine, so I’m really pleased to see these new housing sites taking shape. It’s a great example of what can be achieved when the local authority, government and developers work together to deliver the homes our communities need.”