Pennington Wharf nears completion after final consent

The final phase of a long-running redevelopment of the 45-acre former Bickershaw Colliery site in Leigh has been given the green light by planners.

The site of the colliery, which closed in 1992, has been under redevelopment by housebuilder Taylor Wimpey through its 471-home Pennington Wharf scheme.

The sixth and final phase of Pennington Wharf, to be built on a 1.4-acre plot off Plank Lane, is made up of 29 homes, including 12 two-bedroom apartments and 17 three- and four-bedroom houses.

A 2,500 sq ft retail store will occupy the ground floor space of the four-storey apartment block. The plans originally included a pub but that element was removed due to lack of demand.

Outline consent for the wider mixed-use project, including 650 homes, was originally granted in 2007; this was extended in 2011 before Wigan Council appointed Taylor Wimpey as developer two years later.

Outline consent for the development of the 45-acre site was granted in 2007

The housebuilder then submitted a reserved matters application for 471 homes, 7,000 sq ft of office space and a community centre and café.

The development has been delivered in phases since 2013 with work on the sixth and final stage expected to start in the coming weeks.

James Berggren, principal planner at the scheme’s planning consultant Avison Young: “The proposal received unanimous approval from Wigan Council and marks an important milestone in the wider scheme, not only in providing new homes but also retail space for local residents.”

Baldwin Design Consultancy, Taylor Wimpey’s retained architect in the North West, drew up plans for the development.