DTZ to head up Wigan development study

Property consultancy DTZ is to lead a team tasked with drawing up a major regeneration plan for an area south of Wigan town centre.

The team will include San Francisco-based architecture and environmental consultant Edaw and buildings services specialist Faber Maunsell.

The resultant long-term regeneration plan will cover an area from the West Coast Mainline to the south of the town centre, out to junction 26 of the M6.

The masterplan will explore the development potential of key locations, including the Pier Quarter, Pemberton Colliery and the Eastern Gateway, and identify how to bring the plans to fruition.

Recent developments in the area include the completion of the first phase of a new residential development at Trencherfield Mill in the historic Pier Quarter, the opening of Modus's £120m Grand Arcade shopping mall, and the emerging proposals for Chinamex's 2m sq ft Textiles City at Westwood Park.

Caroline Barker, director at DTZ, said: "Crucially, the masterplan will seek to strengthen physical and socio-economic linkages between key employment locations and local communities, within and outside of Wigan South Central. This will be done through the development of a high quality design framework and by recommending improvements to local and strategic transport connections.

"The masterplan will build upon and take forward the council's commitment to pioneering environmental best practice. Grand Arcade is the UK's first carbon neutral in-town shopping centre, and the masterplan will seek to establish Wigan South Central as a standard bearer for environmental best practice in the North West."