A group in Wigan who are keen to see the town centre development involve residents have come up with a new way of getting a consensus everyone is happy with. The Friends of Wigan Town Centre group feel like the people have been fobbed off by Wigan Council as plans for the redevelopment of the Galleries was put through.
The Galleries shopping centre and Wigan Market will be demolished to make way for apartments, food and drink outlets and entertainment venues. A hotel, 464 homes and a multimedia centre with a cinema, ten-lane bowling alley and indoor mini golf are planned as part of the Galleries 25 project – a joint venture partnership between developers Cityheart and BCEGI UK.
A new market hall with stalls, shops and offices has also been proposed. Planning permission for the major redevelopment was approved back in November 2021 after a vote by councillors on the planning committee.
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Angela Fell, from Friends of Wigan Town Centre, believes a new polling system the group has been using - Crowd Wisdom Project - can help find a better consensus. It could be used to get ideas not just for the town centre development but for all future contentious matters.
“The plans for development need to be opened up to the public so people can feel involved,” she said. “People just feel fobbed off.”
According to Friends of Wigan Town Centre, since March 30, 2022, 148 voters in Wigan voted cumulatively 6,178 times using the anonymous online conversational tool, hosted by the Crowd Wisdom Project, concerning the issue of whether the people of Wigan should have more of a say in the development of Wigan Town Centre. So far, the voters have devised 91 statements for fellow Wiganers to vote upon. Each voter has voted an average of 41 times.
“The consensus is growing, and changes each time people vote or add new statements,” Ms Fell said. “We are keen to hear from lots of people with differing views.
“This is a tool for reaching consensus, to discover what we agree on and helps to understand where we are divided. Brexit led to a polarisation of views in communities, with families and friends falling out with each other over party politics.
“It’s time for us to explore what we agree on, this poll helps with that.”
The results reveal a strong consensus amongst the voters of Wigan for:
- Business grants for local people so that they are in a position to take up new business opportunities
- A rent reduction for the community of market retailers
- More independent shops
Voters are also of the view that:
- Market, shops, cafes and seating for the elderly are important within a town centre
- There has to be places to park
Aidan Thatcher, acting director for economy and skills at Wigan Council, said: “In 2018 the council spoke to more than 6,000 residents about what they wanted to see for the borough and in total we received more than 10,000 ideas. This exercise was alongside the council’s ongoing consultation and engagement work.
“The future of our town centres was one of the top priorities identified through the consultation: town centres are important to our residents and they want to see them thrive. The council’s corporate strategy – Deal 2030 – is based on the feedback received through this project, with ‘Vibrant town centres’ set as one of ten key objectives.
“We want all our district centres to be vibrant, thriving places where people want to live, work and visit. Our Strategic Regeneration Frameworks for Wigan and Leigh also reflect these ambitions.”
Support for businesses in the town centre is a key issue in this matter. The council pointed out that to support the local economy their ‘Invest in Wigan’ team offers a free and independent service to help start, run or grow a business.
It is available to any business located in, or looking to relocate to, the borough or residents who wish to start their own business. The team can advise on funding opportunities which are available.
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