The Women’s Euros and the Rugby League World Cup were the talk of 2022 in Wigan, but next year is all about the outdoors and green spaces. The council leader for the borough is not daunted by being able to deliver on the year just gone - which he deemed “a brilliant 12 months”.
Exciting projects of a new cafe and play area at Pennington Flash as well as a multi-million pound overhaul of Haigh Hall are both central to what is the next ‘big thing’ on the horizon. Coun David Winstanley has been booed by the national accretion given to the nature reserves.
The areas, now called ‘The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh’, will knit together a total of thirteen sites including Wigan Flashes, Amberswood, Three Sisters, Bickershaw Country Park, Pennington Flash and Viridor Wood near Bamfurlong in Wigan, creating the first National Nature Reserve in Greater Manchester.
They were once colliery areas known for smoke and soot, loved for their huge employment boosts in their hay day, but now they have become the ‘lungs of Wigan’ that dog walkers, bird watchers and nature lovers now aspire to visit.
Leader of Wigan Council, Councillor David Molyneux MBE, said: “What a brilliant 12 months we’ve had here in Wigan Borough - with the Jubilee, the UEFA Women’s EURO tournament and the Rugby League World Cup to name just a few of our many highlights. We’re looking forward to building on these successes in 2023, with many exciting projects coming to fruition and a series of events for our residents and communities to look forward to.
“We’re particularly enthusiastic about making the most of our borough’s wonderful green spaces and creating opportunities for more and more of our residents to feel the benefits of connecting with nature. One of the big causes for celebration in 2022 was the declaration of the Flashes of Wigan and Leigh as a National Nature Reserve and in the months ahead we’ll start to see the fruits of our significant investment at Pennington Flash - with The Hide Coffee House & Café opening early in the new year and works on our new, accessible adventure playground beginning from February.
“Meanwhile, over at Haigh Woodland Park, the renovation of the historic Bothy cottages into a new asset for the whole community and the creation of a brand-new woodland hub with outdoor activities for children and adults, will further enhance one of our most beloved visitor attractions.”
It is not just green spaces that are growing in the area though, with major economic developments due to start gaining momentum in the new year. The £135 million Galleries redevelopment looks to create an entertainment hub that lures more people into Wigan town centre.
Food and drink venues, a bowling alley, cinema, mini golf and 464 new homes are all part of the council’s vision. Additionally there would be a public square for events and a music venue.
“The Galleries project is picking up speed and will continue to move forward throughout 2023, and we have recently broken ground at the £135 million Galleries shopping centre redevelopment scheme in the heart of Wigan town centre,” Coun Molyneux continued. “We’ll also be building on a successful year of events with celebrations around the King’s Coronation in May and the ever-growing Wigan Pride later in the year.
“But that’s not all, we also have a further extensive events series happening across the borough. All in all, 2023 is shaping up to be an incredible year for Wigan Borough and we can’t wait to get started.”
A recent announcement which should give the people of Douglas answers to the question of when the long-delayed Wigan Pier development will start up again. Plans for the site, known as the inspiration for George Orwell’s 1937 novel ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’ as well as being a popular nightclub in the 90’s, would see it turned into a wedding venue, gin distillery, microbrewery and food hall.
Additionally, it would become home to eight waterside townhomes. The cultural landmark was left in a tired state after years of neglect and the memory of its house music and rave scene was all that remained after the club was torn down in 2014.The multi-million pound rejuvenation project was delayed by the Covid pandemic as well as rising costs due to inflation, the developer Step Places explained. But now a legal agreement between them and Wigan Council is almost at completion, which means they hope to start work in February.
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