Historic England ‘champions’ Kingswood’s plans for Winstanley Park

The statutory consultee has broken from tradition and gone public with its support for the project, which would see the Tudor mansion converted into 36 flats and its grounds turned into a 396-home neighbourhood.

While Historic England is largely supportive of development – it only objects to around one in every 100 applications – it is unusual for the organisation to issue a press release praising a scheme.

That’s exactly what the group has done with Kingswood Homes proposals for Wigan’s grade two star-listed Winstanley Park.

“While we don’t typically comment publicly on individual planning applications, we wanted to champion this scheme as a model for others to follow,” said Catherine Dewar, North West regional director at Historic England.

“It demonstrates so effectively how to rescue an important historic building while delivering homes, particularly for a site that has seen several previous attempts to find an appropriate scheme over many years.”

Dewar added that this is an opportunity for a neglected historic building to get some much needed TLC.

“Winstanley Hall is an important part of Wigan’s story, but after 40 years of abandonment, it’s in extremely poor condition and at risk of being lost forever.,” she said.

“These plans provide a real opportunity to use heritage as a catalyst for positive change in the area.”

The proposals include more than just houses and apartments. Kingswood’s vision for the site also features a 1,000 sq ft community space and a heritage centre. Publicly accessible footpaths will also ensure everyone has a chance to see the hall up close.

Kingswood managing director Paul Jones said the company was committed to ensuring Winstanley Hall is around for the next generation.

“Our restoration plans will respect the building’s historical significance while adapting it sensitively for modern use,” he said.

Jones added later: “The enabling development will not only fund the hall’s restoration but will also contribute to addressing the much-needed housing requirements in the borough.”

Dewar hopes to see other developers follow Kingswood’s lead.

“Historic buildings give places character and help to drive economic growth by creating environments where people want to live,” she said.

“We know that up to 670,000 additional homes across England could be created through the repair and repurposing of existing historic buildings.”

To learn more about Kingswood’s plans for Winstanley Hall, search references A/25/099718/LB and A/25/099717/MAJOR on Wigan Council’s planning portal. The project team includes Paul  Butler Associates, Chambers Architecture Conservation, Layer.studio, Cavendish Bloor, LK Group, Blackett-Ord Conservation Engineering, Betts Consulting, Dobson Owens, Cheshire Woodlands, WSP, BNP Paribas, and Base Energy.