Leigh readies for new coworking space

With a July opening date, work is well underway on creating 6,000 sq ft of offices off Bradshawgate in the heart of the Wigan borough town.

Leigh Works is behind the new coworking outfit, with plans to transition its operations off Bold Street into the new space, which sits above an Iceland.

When main contractor QHI wraps up the £260,000 refurbishment scheme, there will be 13 private offices, conference rooms, a podcast studio, an electronics lab, workshops, a dark room, and a shared space with more than 60 desks. The space would also have a kitchen and showers.

Leigh Works will also provide members with access to 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, and audio/visual equipment.

Leigh Works estimates that 100 people would be able to work outside of the new space.

“We’re really excited to be bringing something a bit special to our hometown and we have high hopes this will start to raise the bar for Leigh,” said Steven Tomlinson, co-founder of Leigh Works.

“We’re already aware of several food and drink venues opening in the town centre this year,” he continued. “As well as around £33million funding earmarked to be spent on Leigh by the council in the coming few years.”

• Hear more about the council’s plans for Leigh – and how you can get involved. Book your ticket to North West Emerging Development Hotspots.

Tomlinson also took a moment to praise QHI, who is also based in Leigh.

“It’s always been our plan to spend locally whenever we can and we’ve been really impressed with the high standards, rapid progress and professionalism of QHI, it was a great decision getting them involved,” he said.

Funds for the coworking space have come from GMCVO, a charity focused on driving economic activity and social inclusion within Greater Manchester.