Green light for Capital&Centric’s Wigan civic centre refresh  

The developer is eyeing a spring 2025 completion for the 32,000 sq ft workspace project, which aims to prove “brutalist can be beautiful”. 

Internal strip-out work of the 1970s former Wigan civic centre is already underway and now the local council has granted Capital&Centric planning permission for the scheme. 

The developer hopes the project could usher in a new type of workspace in Wigan and other towns.  

“With hybrid working here to stay, people want more creative workspaces and increasingly need inspiring and social spaces that bring people together,” said Sabine Dunstan, development manager at Capital&Centric. 

“Civic will do just that, with not only stunning office spaces in a design-led building, but loads of break-out amenity spaces that will foster interaction between neighbouring businesses.” 

C&C is planning to keep the modernist concrete façade and refurbish the internal space.   

The scheme will feature a gym, mini cinema, and roof terrace as well as being accredited BREEAM ‘Excellent’. 

“The green light from Wigan Council clears the way for the main restoration to get going,” Dunstan added. 

“These 70s concrete buildings really divide opinion – people who either love or loathe them. We’re firmly in the former camp and we’ll prove brutalist can be beautiful. Civic has been dormant for too long and we can’t wait to reveal its new look next spring.”  

Cllr David Molyneux, Leader of Wigan Council, said: “This is a really exciting step forward for this project, set to create high-quality business space alongside fantastic facilities, in our town centre. 

“This sustainable redevelopment is just one of a number of exciting projects taking place across our town centre, including Wigan Pier, Eckersley Mills and of course the former Galleries, all supporting the regeneration of Wigan as a place where people choose to live, work, visit and invest.”