Wigan to give consent for leisure element of £135m Galleries
An 84,000 sq ft complex featuring a cinema, bowling alley, and mini-golf is the next part of Cityheart and the local council’s town centre regeneration project to come forward.
Billed as a Multi Media Centre, this part of the multi-phase Wigan Galleries project will also include a climbing wall, public events space, and a games arcade along with food & beverage units.
The scheme, part of the wider £135m redevelopment of the town centre, has been recommended for approval by Wigan Council planning officers.
A hybrid application was approved in November 2021 for the Galleries project, which will also include 483 homes across seven buildings, a 144-bedroom hotel, a retirement living complex, a market hall and food court, as well as new landscaped areas of public realm including a public square.
A Cityheart spokesperson said: “We are hopeful of a positive outcome but we will wait and see if the council recommends for approval next week.”
Cityheart and partner Wigan Council submitted a reserved matters application for the leisure complex at the former shopping centre earlier this year.
JM Architects has designed the overall scheme. Cityheart was selected as development partner in December 2020.
A development agreement was signed in June 2021. Vacant possession was secured and site remediation started in July last year by principal contractor BECGI Construction (UK).
Work started in earnest in November on the first residential areas and the market hall, which is expected to be the first building completed.
The planning application reference number is A/23/95235/MAJOR. The project team includes Hydrock as geoenvironmental and fire engineering consultants.
Can’t wait!
By Anonymous
Sounds like a disaster
By Anonymous
Why do we need a waste of time garbage like this when so many are waiting for a proper home just build houses and home people. This council have run Wigan into the ground and by the way I am a labour voter.
By Anonymous
Who will tennant the 483 homes?…. are there really so many Wiganers on your waiting list?
By Barbara Mitchell
What a waste of our money
By Anonymous
The majority of local Wigan people don’t need another bowling alley,cinema, climbing walls, or mini golf, we have them in other locations already, we need food outlets, clothing outlets, children activity centre, and so on, your plans are not very appealing to the over fiftys, I think a little more thought is needed.
By James gregory
Absolute disgrace, the town centre as we know it will die.
Who will want to travel into the “town centre” when parking is so expensive and the shops are so few.
The money should have been put to good use regenerating the existing galleries,providing free parking (for 3 hours) and encouraging small independent shops by giving them rates holidays for 12 months.
Chorley is an example abet in a small way, what can be done to keep town centres alive.
The only thing Wigan council is interested in is income from rates & taxes.
By Maurice
Oh no! No parking! How ever will we cope! We’ve had cars since the dawn of civilisation, there’s absolutely no way on earth that humans can travel without them! If only we had some way of propelling ourselves from birth!
By Anonymous
This labour council has wasted so much money on this project, no need to change anything as the previous building’s where lovely and the old morrisons could easily have been converted into a hotel. As for apartments there are enough vacant properties in the bouragh. The crazy golf’s a joke as they have left a putting green 3 bowling greens and 4 tennis courts in Mesnes Park go waste.
By Anonymous
It’s a total waste of council tax money. And is not needed as when already have cinema’s. And bowling alleys. Wigan council just waste wiganers money.
By Eddie
Wigan Council thinks itself invincible and has no respect or consideration for the people of Wigan. The town has been destroyed with elderly people having very little access to what they need in respect of appropriate shopping facilities. The people of Wigan have been let down by a Council who has ideas of grandeur and an MP, Lisa Nandy, who does not care about her constituents.
By JOB
@ Barbara Mitchell. There will be literally thousands of people on their housing waiting list, not to mention the additional general need for housing that exists. Delivery of housing on this scheme is probably the last thing to worry about (other than its quality).
By Unlevelled for balance
Is there room for parking,, Wigan is awfull for parking. And if more people come in it’s going to get worse,
By Anonymous
I’m sad to say that the main reason to go into Wigan Town Centre is to get the train to Manchester or Liverpool and I don’t see this changing that.
By Tha'knows
Cannot wait to see in a few years time another white elephant for wigan ,
By Anonymous
Whilst all this is going on around the town centre can the council please let us know what if anything is going to be done with the seemingly vacant pier quarter. 4 years on and counting of unoccupied buildings that they promised so much but delivering nothing but a white elephant. This is an absolute disgrace and slowly becoming a joke and eyesore of the future. Sort out the unfinished projects before you start another.
By Anthony Hodgson
Awful looks soulless, unimaginative design. Flats in town centres are not long term homes for people, no outdoor space. Look how many are up for sale and rent already at the Pier? Then there’s another development of yet more flats at Eckersley Mill?? Why can’t we build proper houses, with gardens? Can see the town centre becoming a complete ni go area. Hope I’m wrong, but if this project fails, the Council cannot say they were not warned. Very small consultation group for such a massive change to our once thriving market town.
By Joanne Smith
Where are all the cars going to park ?
By Linsey scott
This has and will be a complete disaster for Wigan.
The Galleries, an architectural award winning shopping centre should have been renovated and repurposed.
Wigan Council need to listen to the views of the people who voted for them. They have nobody to blame but themselves for the destruction of this once thriving town centre.
By Anonymous
Typical wigan council waisting people’s money on something not needed🤯😡
By Anonymous
The buildings look awful.
By David
Leave it as an open space for free parking,summer fairs,and open air events
By Anonymous