-The Wigan Development Thread-



http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/images4/wiganmbc6b.jpg

Starting this week, apparently..

Urban Renaissance — Millions For Wigan’s Heritage and Regeneration
Tuesday 16th August, 2005

http://www.wigantimes.co.uk/images/news/Brian/wpq02.jpg

On The Way: The magnificent Trencherfield Mill at the heart of the Wigan Pier Quarter.
Exciting plans for the future of the Wigan Pier Quarter are one step closer to becoming reality today with the announcement that the project has received a massive £6m boost in the form of grant aid.

The funding success will now kick-start a wider multi-million pound regeneration project that will transform the quarter (the area surrounding the basin of the Leeds-Liverpool canal) into a cultural, heritage, tourism, business and leisure location of regional importance.

The cash comes from a number of sources, including the European Regional Development Fund, the Heritage Lottery, the North West Development Agency and the Regeneration Fund.

It will be used on five schemes, the largest of which involves the complete redevelopment of the magnificent Grade 2 listed Trencherfield Mill for commercial and social use, including the creation of stylish loft apartments and space for cultural and creative industries.

There will be a new heritage-themed attraction to sit alongside the world-famous Trencherfield Mill Steam Engine.

The grant aid will also contribute to the plans for a new performance venue, destined to become home to the Wigan International Jazz Festival and many more events.

Leader of Wigan Council Lord Smith described the announcement as ‘great news for the borough’. He said:

“The original redevelopment of Wigan Pier was a great boost to the regeneration of the borough. This latest redevelopment — The Wigan Pier Quarter — will add to the area bringing in more investment and more jobs to use our past to build for the future.”

Wigan Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration Cllr John O’Neill added:

“The council is working alongside Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust (WLCT), Salford-based developers Nuttalls, the local residents and other partners to establish a mixed-use quarter, delivering business opportunities, loft living and waterside leisure facilities for everyone in our borough and beyond to enjoy.”

As well as the redevelopment of Trencherfield Mill, grant aid will be directed at Eckersley Mills; the old Vulcanite site at the bottom of Pottery Road; two small sites owned by British Waterways and The Way We Were visitor attraction.

The partners hope to create an environment that follows in the footsteps of other successful North West regeneration projects such as Salford Quays and Liverpool’s Albert Dock.

Council regeneration experts believe 570 new jobs will be created as a result of the redevelopment and at least 13, often very large, buildings will be repaired.

Wigan Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and chair of the Regeneration Board Cllr Brian Baldwin said:

“The plans for the regeneration of the Wigan Pier Quarter are exciting and ambitious and the allocation of this funding means they will now begin to take shape.”

“This redevelopment will add to the prosperity of our borough in many ways through inward investment and new jobs through to top quality leisure and cultural experiences.”

Cllr Baldwin added:

“Wigan is shedding the outdated, stereotyped image that has persisted for generations and it’s thanks to exciting regeneration projects such as this one.”

“We must congratulate the regeneration team and the hard work of all the partners for making a successful bid for the money.”

“We are confident that very significant amounts of additional investment will follow in the years to come, ensuring that all the dereliction in the Pier Quarter disappears.”

Didnt realise that the Wigan thread had been ressurected.
I'm not too keen on the look of that Grand Arcade. It has a very smalltown provincial look to it and looks like its something out of the 70's.

its not, i had to redo it >:(

Didnt realise that the Wigan thread had been ressurected.
I'm not too keen on the look of that Grand Arcade. It has a very smalltown provincial look to it and looks like its something out of the 70's.
Thats becuase Wigan is a small provincial town and stuck in the 70's Anything to daring here would have the locals up in arms. The grande arcade sucks.

Even this had the locals up in arms, lol!!

Yes, I hate it too.. but I don't care as its something new and well who cares what it looks like when its bringin a HMV to town! woo.. I just hope (and by the sounds of the council it may just happen) that Wigan starts investing in redevelopment and gets itself out of its rut..

Here is a very crap pic by a crap photographer (me) with my stupid camera in the back of a car, lol.. all in all adds up to goodness, not. This is what has replaced the old Vulcanite (some old disused ...dangerous site, lol).. Its some showroom or somet, try and get a more stationary shot soon..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/vulcanite.jpg

The Arcade seems to be stepping up a gear now that all the land has been cleared..

From the webcam (updates per 5 seconds, (compare that to 51limestreets 10mins ;)))

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/GA.jpg

Was in Wigan on Saturday changing trains for Southport...walked round the town for half an hour.
I must say it had a very inward feel to the place...a very northern town backwards atmosphere...felt kind of glad to get on the train out of there...although it's not as bad as Leigh...so it's got something going for it!

Was in Wigan on Saturday changing trains for Southport...walked round the town for half an hour.
I must say it had a very inward feel to the place...a very northern town backwards atmosphere...felt kind of glad to get on the train out of there...although it's not as bad as Leigh...so it's got something going for it!
A lot of the people mostly older generation are quite inward as well. Give them game of rugby league and shove a tata pie in their gob and they're happy.

Hey! - I like sausage rolls!!!

I totally understand what you're saying.. And I think the council are now realising that too.. heres more to show why

New pool and library at heart of multi-million pound service centre
Thursday 25th August 2005 (ref: 324/2005)


Wigan is set to get a new swimming complex to replace the ageing International Pool Wigan is on track to get a state of the art new library and swimming pool as part of an ambitious £64 million plan to revitalise the civic heart of the town and create a unique public service 'hub'.

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has announced that Wigan is one of six councils chosen to go forward for a share of public funding for new libraries and sports projects under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

The plans include a new 25m x 21m pool to replace the existing International Pool, and a new central library to replace the current premises in the basement of the Town Hall.


A new central library will replace the current premises in the basement of Wigan Town Hall (pictured) The council now has to submit a 'business case' to the government by June 2006 to qualify for the funding. Once the final go-ahead is given work could start in 2007 and be completed a couple of years later.

Wigan Council Leader, Lord Smith, said: "This is very welcome news, and I'm delighted that the government is able to support our vision for transforming Wigan's leisure and culture services.

"We have recognised for some time that both the existing town centre swimming pool and central library do not offer the quality of facilities that the public of Wigan expect and deserve.

"This ambitious project will create a first class library and modern pool fit for the 21st century, along with improved customer access to a range of public services. This news marks the first stage in being able to realise our vision.

"The council has an excellent track record of effective partnership working, and I am confident we will now be able to deliver the business case that will bring this funding to Wigan."

The overall project is being described as a Joint Service Centre, and while the new pool and library are the centrepiece, the plans go well beyond this, heralding a stunning new civic heart for the town centre.

The aim is to link all public services within a complex of buildings connected by bridges. According to the council's submission: "It will result in the conversion of the traditional administrative centre in Wigan into a vibrant accessible hub for the majority of local public services that will become the natural focus of the Wigan community."

As well as the Council and the Leisure and Culture Trust, other partners may include the Primary Care Trust, Greater Manchester Police, the Citizens Advice Bureau, Victim Support, Wigan and Leigh Housing.

There will be four 'zones' - for information and learning, community safety, democracy and healthy living. The swimming pool, along with a smaller children's pool and a hydrotherapy pool, will be at the heart of the Healthy Living Zone, while the new library will lie at the heart of the Information Zone as the first port of call for all community advice and information about public services.

Rodney Hill, chief executive of Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, said: "This is very exciting news. When we announced our plans last year to transform the borough's leisure and culture services under the banner of Getting Wigan Active, we knew that a new pool and library were integral to their success.

"The international pool has long passed its sell-by date and is completely uneconomic to renovate, while Wigan library is far from ideal as a major town centre facility. We now have the chance to build two state of the art new facilities that will transform public services in the town centre.

"Coming on top of the plans for Leigh Sports Village, this is a very exciting time for the Trust and the Council. This is still the first stage but it is clear that Tessa Jowell has been impressed with our vision for the future. We can now put together a detailed plan that will turn the dream into reality."

The new library will be built on the site of the current Municipal Buildings on Hewlett Street and Millgate, although the building's red terracotta facade would remain. The pool will be built on the site of the existing pool - news which should please those who have been campaigning for it to be retained in the town centre.

PFI funding involves a partnership between public bodies, like councils, and the private sector. A private company designs, builds and finances an asset such as a school or library, and the public body agrees a long-term operating contract for the services. The total amount of PFI 'credits' on offer to Wigan by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister amounts to £64.6 million.

Wigan,to be honest, isn't really that bad. Its town centre is more attractive than its surrounding towns like St Helens Leigh Chorley etc . for its many tudor style buildings. Many arn't actually tudor but were built in the late 1800's and it has been commonly refered to as little Chester. The galleries shopping centre exploited this.Comming into the town centre from the north through the village of Standish you could be forgiven you are entering Wigan . The wide road is tree lined with huge 1950's detached houses set in huge grounds. This road is about 4 miles long and takes you almost to the town centre with occassional glimpes of Haigh Hall through the trees, a large once stately home set in its own country park, again which stretches almost to the town centre. All very pleasant really. Good news about the olympic size pool staying in the town centre.

Just an Update on the Grand Arcade.. Seems like a bit of progress has been made with the building beginning to form..

-Webcam Capture-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/GA2.jpg

Also the mills are a hive of activity, with their conversion to appartments, may take a camera with me to work tomorrow and see If I can get a few home snaps (depends on how tired and brave I am) lol

I like Wigan's town centre, though it could do with a few more big name stores for a town it's size.

It certainly feels a lot safer than town/precinct at any rate, somewhere I'd prefer my mam to go shopping. I've always found the locals alright, never come across an outside-hating one yet, though I bet this isn't the case at kicking out time on King Street.

Frontpage of our Wigan 'Reporter' reads:

'Grand Ambitions'
Developer plans for skyscraper half the size of Blackpool Tower to dominate Wigan Skyline.

A 200ft skyscraper could soon dominate the ambitious new shopping centre, developers [Modus] confirmed today. The 18 storey addition to the Grand Arcade will give Wigan the landmark it deserves according to the Developers. The tower block, which is currently the subject of a planning application, is set to house a variety of new restaurants, ofice space and 156 appartments.

The director of Modus said 'It was clear that Wigan needed a striking structure to say we are here, we are a successful and improving town and one that can support having such a landmark building.

Then it blabs on about NIMBY opposition from the people in the nasty Tennements.. Exepected as usual, alas.. Finally Wigan is aiming high.. :D

I hope they build it ferge. It'll probably be visible from as far away as Ince ;)

It would make a great foreground for some long distant shots of Manc from the Beacons.. :P I too hope it gets built, its an impressive size for such a ... narrow minded town :( Considering places of a similair size and importance aren't aiming as high as such..

The Modus Residential tower (19 storeys) has been APPROVED?! Total shocker there..
Wahey, Wigan is getting in on the high-life! :D:D

http://kinnear.wiganmbc.gov.uk/planning/advancedquerydetail.asp?passAppNo=A/05/65182

Ah towd thee dinta..... :cool:

Good news.I wonder if you will be able see the Manc Beetham from the top :)

You will see Manc from the top without a doubt, as Manc on a clear day is really bold on the skyline from the M6 just to the side of Wigan so the views from the top would be nice, mmm..maybe by time its built I'd be able to afford one... uhm..

The Modus Residential tower (19 storeys) has been APPROVED?! Total shocker there..

im sure i started a thread on that a bit ago and everyone just disbelieved that it was actually going to get built.

Yeh you did, but at the time the details you found/gave were similiar to that of the shoppin centre I recall, so I presumed it was a cross wire..cos, well.. I never had faith that Wigan would even get proposals above 5 storeys for a long long time, let alone approved near 20 storey buildings, lol.

Still tryin to find some images of it but no luck yet :(

Good God, I am suprised at Wigan.. its, its...almost a Boom?!

Sold: the £1.7m concrete lump!

THE re-birth of Wigan town centre looks set to continue after the old police headquarters was sold to developers for a major flats and leisure project.

London-based Goldcrest Homes paid £1.7m for the Harrogate Street site – more than double the guide price. But its chief executive today said the outlay was well worth it for such a prime piece of land in a "vibrant and forward-looking town."
Michael Collins said that if everything goes to plan, the first thing the company would do would be to demolish the 1960s concrete "eyesore" with the intention of replacing it with affordable apartments with leisure and restaurant facilities on the ground floor.
Goldcrest is also eyeing up the Harrogate Street public car park that the Metro is considering releasing once the massive Grand Arcade shopping centre is completed in 2007.
The police HQ was vacated a year ago as officers moved to their new base on Robin Park Road. The building and surrounding land went up for auction at a guide price of between £700,000 and £800,000.
There were four serious bidders who took the price over the £1m mark and one took Goldcrest all the way to £1.7m.
Mr Collins said: "We paid full price but that is what you have to do to buy prime land.
"We now hope to work with the local planning office on a mixed use building which reflects the guidelines to expand the town centre.
"This would include small, affordable apartments for local people. With Douglas House and possibly a 19-storey addition to the Grand Arcade nearby it could be a tall building.
"This is our first investment in Wigan which is a very important place with a tremendously vital town centre, even without the forthcoming Grand Arcade.
"The place would not be transformed over night – I would envisage two-and-a-half years before the project could be completed, but it will all be worthwhile. The first physical thing we would do is knock down that hideous building!"
Paul Thompson, surveyor for Preston-based auctioneers Pugh and Co who sold the HQ on behalf of the police authority, said: "It is a great spot for a developer, being so close to the town centre and with a water course at the back."
14 December 2005


We could be seeing a few towers being built virtually within a very short area.. Could Wigan actually, get a cluster?!

Well, with the 12 storey blocks there and the 19 storey modus tower going across the road too Wigan will have a little high-rise alley. Well high rise by Wigan standards :)

Little Construction update..

Couple of photies of the GA under construction, and seems that new building by the canal is externally done..


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/IMAG0307.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/IMAG0308a.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/IMAG0349.jpg

Canalside (Resi's do we presume??? They got a few balconies on anyway)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/IMAG0438.jpg

Really was suprised walking around today how much space is flattened for redevelopment, much more than I gathered.. The Mill area stretches from the Wigan pier junction to the Poolstock Junction, basically the width of Wigan, lol. The GA takes up a lot of space too, lets hope they fit that tower in nicely. Also comforting to think that that crane (which seems to dominate the area quite nicely) will be surpassed by taller cranes, after all the modus tower and other proposed 'development' could be taller than the crane itself.. Heehee, good times :cheers:

In case anyone's interested. There's a Wigan edition of Monopoly in HMV on Market St.

I've found out that the tower will be on the junction of Millgate and Riversway.. Meaning it will be almost across the road from the now Goldcrest-owned Police station plot and also nextdoor to the old town hall.. The potential for a cluster (in Wigan of all places) is more real than ever, lol..

Being that its on the junction mean it will be even more prominant as it will stand over the dual carraigeway.. I just really wish they'd show some images now that the thing is approved cos I really want to see what our tower gonna look like!

The only info I've found is that the tower will be:

The proposed development will form the final phase of the Grand Arcade scheme and will include restaurants and cafes, office accommodation and over 150 apartments at the upper levels. The restaurant and
cafes will be based around a 'public' space lit by an atrium and will aim to provide a different, more sophisticated offer than the King Street area.

Lengthy discussions are still underway with the developers and architects to achieve the main design aim of creating a striking contemporary design, using modern materials and architectural detailing. The emerging scheme has an 18 storey high part glazed tower which will offer impressive views for residents. Together with the Grand Arcade, the development will represent a massive investment and confidence boost to Wigan town centre, and will encourage investment in other sites around the centre.

Modus have got in contact with me


Hi Stephen,

Thank you for your email, apologies for the delayed response we have just arrived back after Christmas and I am catching up on my emails.


I am looking into getting an image of the tower for you and some further information. As soon as I have something I will come back to you.


Kind regards,


Janet


Woohoo, first time I've ever e-mailed someone beggin for info, lol :cheers:

Well done that man,should be interesting to see :)

2 great snippets of news for the weekend!!!

1 - Modus Tower images.

I'm sure people will get tired of me posting these but, c'mon.. its somet over 2 floors tall and its approved, thats some big shit in this neck of the woods!
http://www.grand-arcade.com/Images/Residential%20Mixed%20Use/Image%202.jpg

http://www.grand-arcade.com/Images/Residential%20Mixed%20Use/Image-1.jpg

The more I look at it, the more I like it.. It will be completely refreshing to the town's look and appearance, yet not stick out too much as the only thing built in the past... 70 years?! lol.

Second bit of news is equally as interesting (although means the end of my lottery-winning dreams)

High hopes for town eyesore
Wigan's massive new shopping centre could get even bigger, we can reveal.
At least two major developers are showing an interest in buying the eyesore site of the former Wigan town hall on Rodney Street.

Matters are at an early stage but council sources say the signs are looking good that one of Wigan's longest-running property sagas might finally be coming to an end, with a solution that could create scores more jobs and improve both the skyline and economy.
Modus Properties, who are building the multi-million-pound shopping complex, is said to be so pleased with the take-up rate for major retail units there, that it is looking to make the Grand Arcade even grander.
As a corner of the present site is at the bottom of Millgate, the old town hall could be seen as a natural progression of the development.
But Modus is not the only firm which has suddenly taken interest in a piece of land which has lain dormant for more than a decade.
Goldcrest Homes, which earlier this month bought the old police headquarters in Harrogate Street for £1.7m and hopes to turn the site into flats and leisure facilities, has shown an interest.
Chief executive Michael Collins said: "Wigan is a vibrant and exciting place with vacant sites at a premium.
"We are already looking at the possibility of further investments in Wigan and the old town hall site across the road from the police station would be a logical progression for us too."
Modus declined to comment on latest developments but a Metro source has been showing great interest in expanding.
The old town hall closed for business 14 years ago and was sold by Wigan Metro to a developer.
Because the building was unsafe, most of it had to be knocked down, but there was much talk in the mid-1990s of it being redeveloped for leisure and office use.
Nothing came of it and unsuccessful attempts were made to sell the land back to the council at four times the original price.
Another developer then came on the scene but after opening negotiations nothing happened.
The Grand Arcade with 30 units, some of them department store size, is set to open in spring 2007.
Between them the old police station and town hall ruins have blighted the east side of the town centre for years.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/oldtownhall.jpg

this area of Wigan is going to be KICK ASS.. A dual carraigeway with towers on both sides and new, useable space for us Wiganers.. Take that, NIMBYs!

When I first looked at the top render it reminded me of those apartments in salford on the corner af trinity way,but it's obvious this is much better and taller, the base is better too. I really like that edge on view.

From Today's Local Paper.. Featured a render of the tower again for good measure..


We're in for the high life
Yuppies could be making a comeback ... and heading for Wigan.

Canal-side apartments, loft-living and a town centre tower block are on the way – making the perfect environment for wannabe Gordon Gekkos.
But Wigan Metro's regeneration panel has been told that these developments were not just catering for yuppies.
The Bickershaw Colliery regeneration scheme was highlighted as a model scheme which will provide affordable housing for the borough's residents.
Members of the panel were shown a presentation by Kevin Walsh from Wigan's Economic Partnership highlighting some of the current developments.
He said there was currently £750m worth of redevelopment work underway across Wigan.
Schemes highlighted included Pemberton Colliery, Westwood Park, the Wigan Pier Quarter and Makerfield Way.
Mr Walsh also outlined ambitious targets to increase the number of high-quality jobs in the town by 15,000 over the next 10 years.
He said that these would be high quality posts that would mean that the town's graduates would not have to look to Manchester or Liverpool to find top appointments.
Director of planning and regeneration Martin Kimber said it was not an accident that so many exciting developments were under way.
He said: "It is not just the case that the national economy is improving but it is as a consequence of Wigan taking the trouble with partnership agencies to give a very clear message to developers and investors that we are a good place to do business.
"The things you see happening in the borough are not an accident.
"It is about building a brand, building an image, encouraging investment and then channelling it to the benefit of the local community."
Mr Kimber said the Wigan Tower project, which will be part of the Grand Arcade shopping centre, was unthinkable a few years ago.
He added: "Five years ago who would have thought that Wigan Tower would come forward.
"We're getting the type of architecture, the type of living that is only seen in big cities.
"We have a big town and we deserve it. Who would have thought the Wigan Pier Quarter would provide the loft-style living, cappucino culture seen in big cities? It is almost here."
Coun Barry Fagan said the Bickershaw Colliery scheme – which will see housing, leisure facilities including a mariner and public open space being created on the former mining site – was the most important for him.
He said: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get something really beautiful and environmentally friendly.
"It could be a real jewel in the crown – people buying and renting good quality houses in an area of natural beauty."
18 March 2006

Bit of a sad representation of Wigan past that it's grand town hall was abandoned and left derelict. Hopefully this will be restored for new use and an eff-off big tower is built adjoining it on the rest of the derelict site. Hopefully English heritage will not interfere as Liverpool are currently keeping them distracted with them meddling in our tower proposals.

The old town hall is going to make a gorgeous building one day!
I've always thought that Wigan has a lot of potential and it's nice to see that i'm not the only one that thinks that.
The Grand Arcade could be much better and i don't think it's needed as much as people think - whats going to happen to all of the units that are left in the Galleries by the shops that are moving to the shiny new shopping centre? Thats going to become derelict now, seeing as half of it already is.
It all needs some serious thinking about - maybe just to link the two shopping centres together.

But yay - Wigan is soon going to be kick ass

More Pie Eater news.

"Go on ferret lad!"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/jrb041067/wigan1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/jrb041067/wigan2.jpg

Thanks for them, JRB..

Seems so much emphasis at the mo from the council to redevelop the town.. I'll just be glad when theres more signs of it. Seeing as its Easter and I'm home for a week I may try and get out with my Camera again for some photos..

Also they mention they may possibly redevelop between the Pier and the town, thats a lot of space.. yet between it is just small retail outlets (such as office suppliers), an empty retail unit formally used by B&Q and further small shops.. All of which is ideal for development and in good need of it.

few construction pics of the new Quarter.. courtesy of a local forum..

http://usera.imagecave.com/graham/me/DSC_0039-copy.jpg
http://usera.imagecave.com/graham/me/DSC_0042-copy.jpg

Hoping to go get some more pics of the GA before I'm back off to uni... it has taken over the town! lol, from the tesco it looks like somethings from Independance day has landed on Wigan..

Taken from the council pages, this is some of the figures that have amounted mainly due to Wigan being in the premiership.. thought I'd share them to show how Wigan has become much bigger on the map.. Obviously for every profit there is a cost, so hard to tell from this how much the town is to benefit, but its great to think if we can keep up at this level, and to regain pride with the Warriors, that we will become a very interesting sporting town

200,000 additional number of visitors to Wigan over 19 league home games.
£11million of additional spending in the Wigan economy.
Hotel occupancy up by 4% ('lodge' type providers suggest doubling this figure).
Wigan has hosted nearly 500 extra journalists over the season.
The value positive media coverage generated for the town is worth upwards of £700k.
Highlights include special features on Al-Jazeera, Transworld Sport and Dutch ‘RTV’.
Over a dozen national and international press features including the New York Times and a Swiss Sunday newspaper

Goooooooooooooo Wigan!
£11million!!!!!?
Just think what you can bring in when you win yor Olympics bid!

The Grand Arcade Website has been updated with renders of the Mezzanine food court and updated construction pics, I've copied a few over onto here... shame that the cladding is so... expectant, but I'm hopeful that inside will be a very nice mall indeed..


http://www.grand-arcade.com/Images/Images%20and%20Perspectives/Brickwork.jpg

http://www.grand-arcade.com/Images/Images%20and%20Perspectives/Steelwork-2.jpg

http://www.grand-arcade.com/Images/Images%20and%20Perspectives/Steelwork-3.jpg

http://www.grand-arcade.com/Images/Images%20and%20Perspectives/Steelwork-4.jpg

The 'Mezz'

http://www.grand-arcade.com/Images/Food%20Hall/Mezz_04.jpg

And regardless of it not being a Gehry or somet... It still completely baffles me how some locals would still it be this in the location.... than what they're building.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v446/Kaliyoda/Wigan/millgate_carpark1.jpg

Anon "the new Tower design has a remarkable resemblance to a Hypodermic Syringe..

A sign of Modern Times perhaps"

Anon2 "Small market town is what it is, not a place for commerical apartments what look like something out of a Sci-fi film."

The cladding on the GA is actually much better than I'd expected :yes:

Seems Wigan really want this, naturally...



cricket bid facing its final test
A council meeting next month should settle once and for all whether Wigan has any chance of becoming the new home to north west Test match cricket.
Only weeks ago the borough was harbouring serious hopes of hosting a new ground for Lancashire County Cricket Club, after the poor state of Old Trafford prompted fears that the club would lose its lucrative Test status.
It had three options – to stay put and redevelop the present site, move to a suggested plot near the City of Manchester Stadium or come to Wigan.
The first two ideas appeared both too costly and difficult through lack of space for extra revenue-generating businesses on campus.
Meanwhile, Wigan was not only the cheapest option, but also offered 25 acres of space, most probably at Bryn, and much closer to motorway links to all parts of Lancashire than the other two sites.
But at a press conference earlier this month, the ruling Conservative group on Trafford Borough Council announced a package of measures aimed at keeping the club just where it was.
In order to generate sufficient funds to keep LCCC in Trafford, the ruling group said it was prepared to vacate its current 70-year-old town hall across the road from the ground to move to new civic buildings.
The proceeds of the sale, and possibly the site itself, would be given over to the club.
A new ground, built gradually on the same site while keeping the pitch – and games – in situ, could then be built within two or three years.
Trafford Council has signed an exclusivity agreement with LCCC, stopping negotiations with other bidders, including Wigan.
But the matter has yet to be ratified by the full council.
Trafford originally stated that a decision would be made at a full council meeting last Wednesday, but now a special meeting has been called for June 7 to discuss this single issue.
Opposition councillors on the Labour and Liberal Democrat benches are opposed to selling the town hall.
But, even if all of them vote against the idea, the Conservatives would still need eight rebels to defect if they are to lose the vote and give Wigan fresh hope.
29 May 2006

From the 6th of the 11th

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/IMAG0307.jpg

to the 11th of the 6th

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/GA3.jpg

Closer look at cladding

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/IMAG0198.jpg

Really impressed with the cladding on the roadside, its beyond the expectations I had from the model they showed..can't wait to see the tower if it to be of a similiar style :D :D :D

and some other random photies from today, including the mill conversion

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/trenchmill2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/townhall2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/IMAG0173.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/IMAG0189.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/IMAG0221a.jpg

Cheers Ferg. Nice to have a wigan contact in here.

Shoppers at Wigan's newest arcade are to be treated to a taste of Wigan Casino.
The Casino Cafe eating area will take pride of place in the £120m Grand Arcade shopping centre, close to the site where the famous soul club once stood.

http://www.wigantoday.net/getedimage.aspx?ImageID=455612

The arcade is due to open next year.

Russ Winstanley, legendary Northern Soul DJ, said: "I think it's a great compliment.

"We have never had anything to mark the fact the Casino was once there so I'm very happy."

Interior designers from developers Modus have been liaising with Russ and former Casino regular and renowned local artist David Barrow about how best to remember the nightclub.

Classic photographs, paintings by David and a memorabilia cabinet are all being planned for inclusion in the eating area which will feature the original Casino-style lettering on its frontage.

Russ also hopes to have a soul-themed grand opening which could mean the strains of Dean Parrish, Dobie Gray and Frank Wilson will be ringing around the site once again.

Russ said: "There has never been any sort of plaque to mark the spot, just a car park and temporary buildings.

"Modus has been good enough to speak to me and David so they deserve credit for recognising the Casino's importance."

One of the original ideas was to use an abstract concept but the interior designers finally opted for the style of Northern Soul which will be incorporated into a three-part eating area to be known as The Mezz.

Although the Casino itself never had a cafe, it did have a snack bar which specialised in Lucozade and Wigan pies and pasties.

Modus insist the new eaterie will be more up market, offering shoppers "the chance to relax in a contemporary environment".

Modus director, Tim Heatley, said: "Shoppers needed somewhere to eat and take a break in Wigan so we introduced The Mezz.

"It's a striking piece of architecture, sitting about 22ft in the air with the customers passing through it from the car park, making it unmissable.

"The way the gradient works, it is at eye level when you come in from the high street."
03 July 2006

Wonder if it will keep the moaners happy... erm.. probably not
I want the tower to start dammit!

Update on the Trencherfield Mill redevelopment, coined as the Wigan Heritage quarter..

The windows seem to be nearly fully fitted to the main building now, looks a little too 'clean' for the building but will likely get use to it.. The other apartment blocks seem to have begun too behind the mill, it seemed really nice sitting by the canal in this weather.. I'm really glad the Council and developers realised that this area needing some work and could be used as an extension to the Pier tourism area.. The whole area does stretch much further now and its great walking from the pier area to the mill, investment centre and newer buildings.. Hope they have somewhere to sit and have a drink by the canal, that would do great :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/mill11.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/mill16.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/mill112.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/mill115.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/mill110.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/mill119.jpg

I really hope it all proves successful and the neighbouring mills would get the same treatment, then the area would be massive and could be a lively part of town offering things we don't have, like more leisure facilities and places to eat out
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/mill12.jpg

I'm determined to visit Wigan Pier one day.
Ever since I read Orwell's The Road to Wigan Pier about 25 years ago I've had a hankering to get over there.

I'm not what you'd call a compulsive type.... ;)

http://www.grand-arcade.co.uk/images/image/future_image.jpg

New render of the street level of the Modus Tower, the shopping centre opens in 6 days! Not keen on the smaller render mind, but hey.. its a start.

Wigan's Eastern promise revealed
Friday 15th June 2007

http://www.wigan.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D641CC36-CE9C-4079-AF1C-5BCD9BF91467/0/Tower.jpg

An artist's impression of the proposed 18-storey tower on the site of the former Millgate car park An ambitious blueprint for reviving Wigan town centre’s run down eastern fringes has been published by the council.

The area, newly christened the Eastern Gateway, includes some well-known buildings like the former police station, Wigan International Pool and the old town hall.

But in recent years much of it has gone into decline and according to the report is now characterised by vacant, derelict and underused sites and buildings.

Council planners have drawn up detailed guidance for developers, aimed at creating what they hope will become a ‘dynamic new district’ within walking distance of the town centre.

Already several bold plans are in the pipeline, including an eighteen storey tower on the site of the former Millgate car park.

The document is in draft form at this stage and planners are inviting members of the public to influence its final shape at a public drop-in session at the History Shop on Thursday June 28th.

Amongst some of the ideas being proposed are the reconfiguration of the junctions of Riverway and Millgate and Riverway and Darlington Street to provide ‘efficient and safe’ pedestrian and cyclist crossings of the busy A49.

Environmental improvements to the area also form a key part of the document. The potential to upgrade existing open spaces and waterways, including improved town centre access to the RiverDouglas, have been investigated.

Deputy council leader and cabinet regeneration champion,Cllr John O’Neill, commented:

“Our ultimate aim is to establish the Eastern Gateway as a dynamic new district within walking distance of Wigan town centre. The area has the potential to be radically transformed into a distinctive and diverse mixed use quarter, providing a catalyst for a new phase of regeneration in Wigan.

“This document provides an important contribution to the successful regeneration of the area in a situation where a number of different people will be bringing forward individual sites for development.”

The planning guidance states: “Whilst many areas of the town have seen dramatic and successful regeneration initiatives, the Eastern Gateway has been left largely neglected. The A49 ring road has acted as an unwelcome physical barrier to economic activity and investment.

“This has resulted in an underutilised quarter dominated by surface car parks, empty and dilapidated buildings and vacant and overgrown land.

“Stimulated by the recent approval for phase three of the Grand Arcade development, which includes a mixed use 18 storey tower block, the area has been receiving increased speculative development interest over recent months.

“The number of low intensity land uses in the area and the amount of vacant and derelict land, means that an excellent opportunity for the regeneration of the Eastern Gateway has arisen. The document seeks to build upon this opportunity and provide a clear design framework to guide and inform future development.”

The report calls for ‘bold, innovative buildings’ balanced with a need to protect the area’s ‘strong heritage qualities.’

xxxxxxx

another big development which until now I didn't even know was in the planning process is the redevelopment of the old town hall (pictured a few posts above). The site is to be redeveloped with offices n apartments in the form of a 14 storey block which seems to mirror the modus Grand Tower (18 storeys) which will be directly across the road from it, meaning there is now a 'triangle' of new aparments blocks either side of the carraigeway.

Modus 'Grand Tower' - 18 storeys
Old Town Hall Apartments - 14 storeys
Goldcrest Old Police Hq Apartments - 13-15 storeys..

All next to some fairly alright commie blocks will give Wigan a bit of a skyline, I just hope these new buildings dont look too similiar to the commie blocks!

Just seen in today's local paper that the council have approved a new redevelopment of the swimming baths, library and council buildings which will sandwich the town hall, made front page and another full page, cant scan them but will search the net for some images of the projects.. will commence in september and be completed by 2011, another massive redevelopment alongside the Grand Arcade, Tower Grand appartment block and newly announced restaurant and bar/appartment building alongside. Area will be completely transformed.

xxxxxxxx

as mentioned, the new developments:

http://www.wigan.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/576AC9A1-B0D3-46D5-8557-E5967248D9A0/0/Graphic_wiend.jpg
http://www.wigan.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/DBD4BDD6-B3DD-4CBC-BDCD-D818E4143327/0/Graphic_pool.jpg
State of the art new library and pool for Wigan
Friday 8th February 2008 (ref: 37/2008)


Joint Service Centre: Artists' impressions of The Wiend (top), Wigan Pool (lower left), and Wigan Library (lower right). Wigan is to get a stunning new central library and swimming pool as part of plans to create a unique public service 'hub' that will revitalise the town’s civic heart.

The multi-million pound project – officially known as the Joint Service Centre (JSC) – will create a state of the art leisure, health and information complex including a new one stop shop for all public services.

After an exhaustive year-long selection process, councillors this week selected the Access consortium to design and build the centre, which will feature two iconic ‘landmark’ buildings.

The new 25m swimming pool and central library – including separate children’s and teenage libraries - have been designed by the same team responsible for Brighton Library, which has already won 17 design awards.

Services provided by the council and its housing and leisure partners, the police, the NHS, the fire service and community and voluntary groups will all be accessible under one roof.

A vital part of the project will link the service centre to a network of contact points, or ‘spokes’, in each of the borough’s ten townships across the borough, providing local face-to-face, phone or computer access to services.

The scheme will take over two years to build and will be located on the site of the Municipal Buildings (preserving the distinctive terracotta façade), the Wiend children’s library and International Pool.

It is being paid for using £67M of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) credits for which Wigan had to compete against more than 100 other councils. This means the private sector bears the initial building and running costs, which are paid back over 25 years using the government credits. Then the building belongs to the council.

Wigan Council Leader Peter Smith said: “By joining up public services in this way we’ll be able to sort out most people’s enquiries at the first point of contact. It will create truly accessible, high quality public services that put the customer first in all parts of our borough.”

He added: “This is one of the most ambitious council schemes being undertaken in the UK and we been able to prove beyond doubt that we are capable of delivering it successfully.”

The swimming pool, fitness centre and health and social care services will form a Healthy Living Zone, while the new central library on the site of the Municipal Buildings will lie at the heart of an Information and Learning Zone.

A Neighbourhood zone will bring together all the services involved in tackling crime and grime.

Work is likely to start in September this year and the whole complex will open for business in January 2011.

Thanks for the updates ferge,I live near Wigan and am interested the see the progression of these new developments. Is there a start date for the Grande Arcade Tower,the site has been lying dormant for ages.

No worries, i'm not actually living in wigan anymore, so its hard to keep up to date with whats happening on site, and i dunno when they're meant to be starting the apartment tower, but there is another development on the site.. which i imagine they'll start as a phase II and the toer phase III perhaps, so maybe it could be some time..

This one got through. Pretty big. £137 mill on another site.

Wigan is to get a stunning new central library and swimming pool as part of plans to create a unique public service 'hub' that will revitalise the town’s civic heart.

The multi-million pound project – officially known as the Joint Service Centre (JSC) – will create a state of the art leisure, health and information complex including a new one stop shop for all public services.

After an exhaustive year-long selection process, councillors this week selected the Access consortium to design and build the centre, which will feature two iconic ‘landmark’ buildings.

The new 25m swimming pool and central library – including separate children’s and teenage libraries - have been designed by the same team responsible for Brighton Library, which has already won 17 design awards.

Services provided by the council and its housing and leisure partners, the police, the NHS, the fire service and community and voluntary groups will all be accessible under one roof.

A vital part of the project will link the service centre to a network of contact points, or ‘spokes’, in each of the borough’s ten townships across the borough, providing local face-to-face, phone or computer access to services.
The scheme will take over two years to build and will be located on the site of the Municipal Buildings (preserving the distinctive terracotta façade), the Wiend children’s library and International Pool.

It is being paid for using £67 million of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) credits for which Wigan had to compete against more than 100 other councils.

This means the private sector bears the initial building and running costs, which are paid back over 25 years using the government credits.

The building then belongs to the council.

Wigan Council Leader Peter Smith said: “By joining up public services in this way we’ll be able to sort out most people’s enquiries at the first point of contact.

“It will create truly accessible, high quality public services that put the customer first in all parts of our borough.”

He added: “This is one of the most ambitious council schemes being undertaken in the UK and we have been able to prove beyond doubt that we are capable of delivering it successfully.”

The swimming pool, fitness centre and health and social care services will form a Healthy Living Zone, while the new central library on the site of the Municipal Buildings will lie at the heart of an Information and Learning Zone.

“A Neighbourhood zone will bring together all the services involved in tackling crime and grime.

Work is likely to start in September this year and the whole complex will open for business in January 2011.

Rob Hann, Director for Legal Services at consultants 4ps, said: “Today’s announcement is excellent news for the people of Wigan.

“Joint service centres play an important role in helping local people gain better access to local services.

“4ps have supported Wigan Council throughout the development of the project enabling the council to secure the best funding package possible for their Joint Service Centre.

“We would encourage other local councils looking to embark on a joint service centre to follow Wigan's example.”

http://www.wigan.gov.uk/pub/council/agendas/2006-07/planning/180706/report08.htm

xxxxxxx

Sounds promising

£10.5m facelift for high-rise flats



TRANSFORMATION: Three of the five tower blocks earmarked to undergo renewal including external insulation cladding and replacement windows

An exciting multi-million pound makeover project has been unveiled for Wigan's 1960s high-rise flats in Scholes Village.
Five of the tower blocks are set for a huge overhaul as part of a massive £230m investment by Wigan and Leigh Housing in council accommodation the borough.

Around 500 flats will be renovated in the plans for Brook House, Woodcock House, Derby House, Mannion House and Crompton House.

Plans include:



External cladding to improve insulation, visually transforming the blocks;

Replacement PVC-u windows, with energy-efficient glass and ventilation to combat condensation;

New roofs with improved insulation;

Repairs to balconies and gables;

Improved lighting;

Massive redecorating and flooring programmes to communal areas; and

New individual front doors and automatic communal entrance doors

Residents can have their say on all aspects of the proposals at Wigan's Quality Hotel on Thursday March 13 or Wednesday March 19, at 10am, 3pm or 6pm.

Marjorie Marsden, deputy chair and tenant board member of Wigan and Leigh Housing, said: "These are really exciting proposals to completely modernise the tower blocks within Scholes Village and we would like to hear from as many residents who live the village as possible.

"Inside and outside the flats, the design choices are theirs to make and we hope a number of them will join the project team to assist in choosing a principal contractor for the project.

"The external insulation should help reduce residents' heating bills."
Visitors to the Quality Hotel can see computer-generated images, meet the people behind the project, and raise issues.
It is hoped work can begin late this summer and be completed within two years.

A local contractor has already been appointed to do major internal refurbishment to communal areas of another high-rise, Douglas House, also at Scholes Village.

and mentioned towers.. (not sure if you're allowed to put webb aviation pics on here??)

http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/gallery/d/14247-1/Grand-Arcade-Shopping-Centre-ba05678.jpg

the 5 taller council blocks are the ones to be refurbished, the picture also shows the site of the joint services development, the 18 storey modus tower, some of the site of the 13(?) storey apartment scheme, i think there is also a 15 storey scheme nearby to this too.. more than I ever imagined in the pipeline for me lil ole town

I cannae keep up with all this, at this rate.. I will have developments to put on the start of this Wigan development thread, think it might be a job for me tomorrow, haha.


Finishing touches to £100m plan

http://editorial.jpress.co.uk/web/Upload/WIGA//TH1_73200853WIG012_001_07-03-08_104215.jpg

Time is running out for the public to air their views on proposals for the £100m regeneration of a famous old Wigan mill complex.
Industrial units, apartments, a large hotel and canal marina – together creating hundreds of jobs – are in the blueprint for Eckersley Mills.

The plans will remain on show at the town's History Shop until close of play today, after which, mills owner Maryland Securities will put the finishing touches to a planning application for submission to Wigan

Metro, possibly as early as this month.
The former cotton mills off Swan Meadow Road have been overshadowed in recent years by the major redevelopment of Trencherfield Mill, but they have just as great a potential, not least because they are half as big again as their smartened-up Wigan Pier neighbour.

Should the project be approved the work could take between eight and 10 years to complete.
It is hoped that new businesses would move into Mill Number One and create extra employment under the first phase of the development.
The majority of space in subsequent phases would be taken up by residential premises.

Maryland, which is keen to stress that the project is still subject to planning approval, says it would not be forcing any of the 40-plus existing businesses to leave to make way for the revamp. More than 100 years old, the Eckersley buildings were listed in the 1980s but even then part of them were in a poor state of repair.

Mill Number Two was also badly damaged in the storms of October 2006, although it was later made watertight. There is widespread recognition, however, that conditions need to improve for it to prosper.

This is acknowledged by Maryland in as much as the marina and new-build hotel aspects would be last to arrive, when their environment is smarter.

A Maryland spokesman said: "The plans have generated a good deal of interest."
The History Shop in Library Street is open until 3pm today.

And more..

Plans for Buddhist tourist attraction

A unique international tourist attraction could be on its way to Wigan.
The Wigan Observer has learned that the town's huge Chinese textiles hub project may include an ornate Shaolin Buddhist temple.
The temple would be the largest of its kind outside China and would attract hundreds of thousands of people a year to the town.

An outline concept for the Wigan Chinese Temple project has now been put forward by the Lee Kai Hung Foundation, a charity founded in 1992 to help Chinese students studying in Britain, on behalf of the North West Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

The temple site could include hotel and retail facilities, an educational and cultural centre and would be a source of meditation for visiting Chinese business people.
The temple is seen as an important potential aid to understanding and
building links between the two nations.

However, it was not announced at last week's high profile press
conference about the Chinagate textile plan.
And the Lee Kai Hung Foundation's founder Dr Lee said: "A feasibility study is being carried out but I believe any further exposure at this stage is premature."

China's Shaolin Monastery was made world famous by Hollywood's 1970s cult classic series, Kung Fu, featuring David Carradine.
Dating from AD 496, it is the only temple in China that combines martial arts and Zen Buddhism.

As such, monks at the monastery may be martial monks, scholarly or clerical monks.
It is held that Zen Buddhism allows you to store and build up 'chi' (spiritual energy), while martial arts is the act of releasing chi; therefore, the two complement and complete each other.

The monastery in China has been destroyed and rebuilt many times and martial arts groups from all over the world have made donations for the upkeep of the temple and grounds.

The project to bring a temple to Wigan has the backing of the North West Development Agency and Wigan Council which view it as presenting a significant tourist and heritage opportunity for the North West.

A spokesman for the Metro said that a project was currently under construction in China and the Wigan proposition would, in part, be modelled on that.

Specialist consultants Liverpool based L and R Leisure have recently been appointed to undertake a feasibility study into the potential development of the temple on the former power station site at Westwood, although its specific location has yet to be confirmed.

The Metro spokesman added: "They will look into the economic and tourism potential of the Temple.
"It will also help us to understand what public sector and other interventions will be needed to secure the project, should it prove to be a practical opportunity."

A spokesman for the North West Development Agency said: "We have been made aware of it and remain supportive although it is very early days yet and we haven't seen anything concrete yet."

and finally for the treble, stumbled across this on the planning portal..

as part of the Trencherfield 'Heritage Quarter', a 15 STOREY apartment block

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/WebDetailPlans253458011.jpg?t=1204933860

do you know who the architect and developer are?

ferge can you see it in here? http://kinnear.wigan.gov.uk/planapps/PlanAppsAppSearch.asp what's its address?

the agent is Inside Out Design Associates Ltd


http://kinnear.wigan.gov.uk/planapps/PlanAppsDetails.asp?passAppNo=A/07/69409

nice one.

A/07/69409
Application Reference A/07/69409
Address of Proposal Land And Buildings On The South Side Of Woods Street Wigan WN3 4ET
Proposal To erect 1no. 10-15 storey block containing 100 apartments and first floor office suite accommodation
Status
Pending Consideration
Applicant's Name P R Pattison, A Nuttall & MJF
Applicant's Address Delta Works Chadwick Road Eccles M30 0WP
Agent's Name Inside Out Design Associates Ltd
Agent's Address The Old Bank 358 Manchester Road Hollinwood Oldham Lancashire OL9 7NU
Date Application Received 07/09/2007



september 07....me thinks the wigan planning portal needs a trawl!

and mentioned towers.. (not sure if you're allowed to put webb aviation pics on here??)

http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/gallery/d/14247-1/Grand-Arcade-Shopping-Centre-ba05678.jpg

the 5 taller council blocks are the ones to be refurbished, the picture also shows the site of the joint services development, the 18 storey modus tower, some of the site of the 13(?) storey apartment scheme, i think there is also a 15 storey scheme nearby to this too.. more than I ever imagined in the pipeline for me lil ole town

ferge you wouldn't happen to know the names of any of those council blocks would you? i want to put them on skyscrapernews.com but need the names first. if there are any others in wigan above 10 floors i'd be interested in their names also.

I can try and find out for you, other than that I'm not aware of any other tall buildings.. Having said that I don't live in Wigan anymore and have few opportunities to visit, but will try my best

Well the Wigan thread has always been there, even when there was .....abso-bloody-lutey nothing going on here! Alas, I'm gonna work on updating the developments over the weekend as I've just had a rummage through the planning dept files and found some new stuff..

For a sneaky peak..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/goldcrestwig2.gif
the newly proposed Goldcrest homes Resi Development, as mentioned on the thread some time ago.. on the site of the old Police HQ

well i found the app for this. the latest is that it got outline planning permission, on january 22nd 2008. :cheers:

to view go here http://kinnear.wiganmbc.gov.uk/planapps/
wigan's planning website isn't able to provide direct links to apps, so you'll have to put the app number in the search box. pretty easy really.

Application Details
Application Reference A/06/66696
Address of Proposal Former Police Station Harrogate Street Wigan WN1 1DX
Proposal Demolition of existing building and erection of two buildings with A1/A3 and D2 uses on part ground floor, and up to 253 residential units on upper floors and provision of new access on Harrogate Street. Application in outline with siting and means of acc
Applicant Details
Type of Application
Major Outline
Status
Application Approved with Conditions
Decision
Approved with Conditions
Decision Level
Delegated Decision
Case Officer
Mr R Taylor
Telephone
01942 488045
Ward
Ince
Applicant's Name Goldcrest Homes (Portesbury) L
Applicant's Address As Agent
Agent Details
Agent's Name CgMs Ltd
Agent's Address Morley House 26 Holborn Viaduct London EC1A 2AT

there is another application from goldcrest, presumably to remove the conditions or something. it seems to have been applied for in parrallel, as the decision date is the same as the above. i've not had a chance to look yet. it was refused, january 22nd 2008.

Application Details
Application Reference 07/00043/NONDET
Address of Proposal Former Police Station Harrogate Street Wigan WN1 1DX
Proposal Demolition of existing building and erection of two buildings with A1/A3 and D2 uses on part ground floor, and up to 253 residential units on upper floors, and provision of new access from Harrogate Street. Application in outline with layout and means of
Applicant Details
Type of Application
Status
Appeal Withdrawn
Decision
Withdrawn
Decision Level
Case Officer
Mr R Taylor/Mr N Higson
Telephone
01942 488045
Ward
Ince
Applicant's Name Goldcrest Homes (Portesbury Lt
Applicant's Address C/o Agent
Agent Details
Agent's Name Mr Kevin Goodwin
Agent's Address C G M S Morley House 26 Holborn Viaduct LONDON EC1A 2AT

and just to confuse matters there's this too. perhaps some earlier version of the same app, or something. says pending. probably obsolete.

Application Details
Application Reference A/07/69290
Address of Proposal Former Police Station Harrogate Street Wigan WN1 1DX
Proposal Demolition of existing building and erection of two buildings with A1/A3 and D2 uses on part ground floor, and up to 253 residential units on upper floors, and provision of new access from Harrogate Street. Application in outline with layout and means of
Applicant Details
Type of Application
Major Outline
Status
Pending Consideration
Decision
Pending
Decision Level
Delegated Decision
Case Officer
Mr R Taylor
Telephone
01942 488045
Ward
Ince
Applicant's Name Goldcrest Homes (Portesbury Lt
Applicant's Address C/o Agent
Agent Details
Agent's Name CgMs Ltd
Agent's Address Morley House 26 Holborn Viaduct London EC1A 2AT

Seems to be a few new developments circulating for Wigan, all of them facing a lot of criticism from the local ney-sayers! Firstly, they didn't want the Grand Arcade shopping centre, because they didn't want new shops and because a multi-storey car park would be lost. Now they're complaining that the renovation of an old mill/college building to apartments will cause a parking crisis. However, a simultaneous development for a new multi-storey car park by the train station is causing just as much hoo har, because 'Wigan doesn't need more parking'!! It baffles me, do they not read over all their complaints and think, 'wait... we're hypocrites?!' :|

Parking fears at plan for mill


ALL the latest news

« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »View GalleryADVERTISEMENTPublished Date:
13 February 2009
By Charles Graham
Ambitious plans to transform a former Wigan mill are among the few positive economic signs in Wigan at the moment - but that doesn't mean it will go unchallenged.
Questions are already being asked about the practicalities of turning what used to be Wigan College's Pagefield building into almost 300 flats and 700m sq of office space – particularly with regard to parking.

Manchester-based Tower Gate Developments say they have great plans for the 144-year-old listed cotton mill building and this month submitted a planning application to Wigan Metro.

The bid also asks permission to demolish a part of the listed premises and replace it with five new buildings. It says that 166 parking spaces would be created.

However, residents in nearby streets feel that number is not enough.
Stuart Worthington, of Kenyon Road, said: "Anyone who uses Mesnes Park or lives within about a mile is likely to be affected by this development.

"Since most of the residential units will be two and three-bedroom apartments, I would expect an average of at least 1.2 cars per household, which would mean at least 183 cars looking for somewhere to park in Swinley. I believe that anyone living on a street within a mile of Mesnes Park is likely to find it very difficult to park on their own street.

"I would also expect serious traffic issues, since there are only two ways to get in and out of the campus and there are already traffic problems at those junctions."

Jim Cunliffe, of Walkden Avenue, said: "When the college was in the mill it had a big car park, but we still had folk parking on the road. Now the college has put its new buildings on that car park while the old Rylands Mill is still there.

"Not only will you have all these new residents needing parking spaces, but there are also the staff of and visitors to the offices that are also being created.

"I don't want to pour cold water on a project that could bring new homes and businesses to Wigan during a recession, but it worries me that Swinley's traffic nightmare is going to get worse because of it."

Designed by George Woodhouse, Rylands Mill has been part of the Wigan landscape for 144 years. Early photographs show it pre-dating the park and, for much of that time, it was in the business of cotton, employing hundreds of workers.

By the 1980s, its days as a factory were over and in 1985 it became a major annexe to the rapidly expanding Wigan Technical College.

It was used by students for the next 22 years but, while architecturally impressive, it was costly and impractical to maintain, won few friends as a centre for education and Wigan and Leigh College, as it became, leapt at the opportunity to build new £12.5m premises nearby. The mill has been empty for 18 months now.

A spokesman for Tower Gate declined to comment other than to say the company wanted to let the planning process take its course.


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b143/andysampson/HPIM1635.jpg
courtesy of 28days later

Application number - A/09/72444

more controversy..


Plans to ease town centre parking problems
http://editorial.jpress.co.uk/web/Upload/WIGA/TH1_132200949Glass-clad-MSCP.jpg

A futuristic new development is planned to help end Wigan's town centre parking problems.
A multi-million pound 400-space multi-storey car park is to be built alongside North Western Station – increasing the number of spaces by 50 per cent.

The existing ground-level facility will disappear for the new glass-sided construction which will help replace the capacity swallowed up by the Grand Arcade project which meant the Station Road multi-storey off Standishgate was bulldozed.

However, under the scheme the current car park will close in a week's time (February 23) for piling work to start, with the new facility not due to open until Christmas – so commuters and shoppers are being warned to find alternative parking in the meantime.

What do you think? Add your comments below ...

The car park is part of a £90m expansion at 17 sites along the West Coast Main Line and Wigan is the first location on the national rail network where this German design has been used for station parking.
The new car park will be a three-storey glass-clad structure with each storey a different colour.

It will boast 'green' lighting and ticketing machines courtesy of two of the latest "egg whisk-style "12m wind turbines.

The system is said to be quieter than the conventional and controversial windmill style wind turbines. They also create less vibration and can capture wind from any direction. This allows them to be located within built up areas, rather than needing a clear flow of air to operate.

Network Rail's route enhancements manager David Golding said demand for rail travel is set to rise.
He said: "We predict that many of these extra passengers will drive to the station, putting more strain on the car park.

"We need to increase the number of parking spaces to cater for this demand so, working with Virgin Trains, we have committed £90m to transform parking at many of the stations on the West Coast Main Line over the next 18 months."

Virgin Trains and Network Rail say that they are working closely with watchdog Passenger Focus to minimise the inconvenience to rail travellers during the work to improve car parking at North Western station.
The nearest alternative car park is Chapel Lane.

Wigan North Western said that they are urging all customers who travel to North Western station by car to allow extra time for their journey to the station, to ensure that they are still able to catch their intended train.

glad to know the previous proposal is off..


Eyesore Town Hall plan back on



Published Date:
16 February 2009
By Richard Bean
One of Wigan's biggest eyesores could be transformed into a hotel and conference centre if a development project finally gets the go-ahead.
International developers Foxglove are set to resubmit a scheme to revive the remnants of Wigan's Grade II listed former town hall.

Early last year the Jersey-based firm withdrew the £25m project only hours before councillors were due to sit down to consider the planners recommendation to reject it.

Now the Evening Post has learned that the new plan will see the end of the residential element of the project featuring a 10-storey high tower and replace it with a hotel and conference centre, plus commercial office space.

What do you think? Add your comments below ...

It is thought that the plan could be considered for approval as early as April.

The controversial first plans were criticised by architectural watchdogs for not making enough effort to secure historical features of the Rodney Street complex.

English Heritage said the project failed to offer a "sympathetic or appropriate" treatment of a listed building which dates from 1866.
There was no-one available to comment from Foxglove, but the company has said previously that the scheme would be a regeneration and enhancement of the derelict site as well as providing new jobs within
the town centre.

Town centre ward Councillor Gareth Fairhurst said: "The Wigan papers have been full of developers who have pulled out of Wigan recently but these people are cash-rich and keen to develop here.
"Foxglove has got a very exciting proposal and are keen to get started as soon as possible.

"This new project would created over a thousand jobs over 18 months of building the site and then create more jobs when finished.
"I have been pushing the council to be more pro-active in speaking to the developers as this is the best way forward."

A Metro spokesman said: "All along, the council's concern has been to see a high quality building on this very prominent entrance into Wigan.
"We want to make sure the development actually happens, but we make no apology for making sure that whatever does go there will enhance the town for many years to come.

"The applicants are responding constructively to our suggestions and things are moving in the right direction.
"We're also seeking assurances from the site owners as to how they will make the listed building and its site secure to prevent unauthorised access and further damage."

The full article contains 418 words and appears in Wigan Evening Post newspaper.

Some artist drawings of the Pagefield Mill redevelopment..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pagefield3.jpg?t=1234980799

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pagefield2.jpg?t=1234980811

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pagefield1.jpg?t=1234980879

always interesting to hear about the town that i grew up in. keep the updates coming, ferge. :)

Just some snippets :

- North Western car park is now on site.. not really going to get excited about a car park, but at least its making more use of a large plot of land and will hide the backs of all the buildings on King st which were never a nice welcome to the town..
- I noticed the other day that behind the closed swimming baths is a facade test for the new swimming pool, with several coloured tiles.. I don't know if they are testing several shades/makes of tile.. or if its representative of the facade with varied shades.. It looks nice though, will brave a picture next week maybe.
- First of the Schole's tower blocks is well underway with its re-clad, although still not sure what the finish will be like, as so far they've added several layers of insulation and rendered over it.. I'm praying that they're going to clad over that or paint it!
- There's a lot of red cabins appearing behind the old police station, and a lot of people in hi-ves jackets when I went passed on the bus last night. I'm presuming they're for Schole's flat recladding, or could they be getting ready to clear the old Police station??

somet else..



http://editorial.jpress.co.uk/web/Upload/WIGA//TH1_25220098sketchbase.jpg
NEW LOOK: Artist’s impression of the Bickershaw site

« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »View GalleryADVERTISEMENTPublished Date:
25 February 2009
By Charles Graham
A plan to transform a derelict former colliery site into a new country park is to be brought to life as part of a special exhibition.
The multi-million pound project to breathe new life into the old mining site at Bickershaw will take centre-stage on March 5 with a display in the foyer of the town hall between 6pm and 8pm.

The exhibition, at Leigh Town Hall, is a morale boost after it was announced that the tendering process for a community of zero-carbon eco-homes for the site was postponed last week due to concerns over the recession's impact on the building industry.

The project, which is a partnership between Wigan Council, the Homes
and Communities Agency, Groundwork and others, will see a 190-hectare country park with a host of attractions created over the next few years.
These include an 18-hole golf course, nine-hole "pitch and putt," golf driving range, visitors' centre and activity island.

Plans on display will include the designs for the Visitors' Centre created by award-winning architects Maccreanor Lavington.
The site plans also include proposals for new footpaths, landscaped areas and improvements to the existing natural habitats.

The event is being hosted by Groundwork Community Engagement manager Michael Scarisbrick, who said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for people to have a look at the plans for the most exciting development in Leigh today.

"Not only will local people have a chance to view the plans but they will also be able to discuss them with some of the project partners."
The Rushes is set to open to the public within the next 18 months, with the first game of golf teeing off in 2011.

Wigan Council's Cabinet Champion for the Environment, Coun David Molyneux said: "We are looking to the future while keeping a sense of respect for the past.

"Nature is already beginning to reclaim a foothold on the former slag heaps and flashes and we are more than happy to help this along.

"We have talked with many individuals and communities about plans for The Rushes and seen a great number of people have their say and express their views on the subject." The HCA has stressed the eco-homes project has not been dropped, rather postponed until June.

These are the colour schemes for the Schole's council block reclads..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/colours.jpg?t=1235842876

they are going to look disgusting :( I wasn't hoping for much, but blue council blocks? how is that making them more modern??!!! If anything these tower blocks were fairly nice compared to other places, yet now having 5 blue and grey blocks.. probably look more dated than ever, hardly progress..

There seems to be a new video posted on the Tower Grand website, showing some modified renderings, 3D flyover and an aerial video of the Grand Arcade (well, made sense for them to actually put something on there!) which at least shows its not completely dead in the water.. although still a long shot :(

Wigan reeeeally needs this to go up..

Screenshots
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/modus1.jpg?t=1235928154

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/modus4.jpg?t=1235928276

Video
http://towergrand.co.uk/tower_grand_movie/tower_grand_pres.html

Just some bit of news:

* The Swimming Baths is well into demolition now (not had chance to take pictures) with the road between it and the Town Hall boarded off (to be pedestrianised once works completed) and the listed building to its left is also boarded off to allow both the new Library and Swimming Pool to be built.. it should be a big change to the town :)

* The Council flats are well into their 'renovation' works, with 2 completed.. the blue and white rendering is not a good look IMO :(

This is old news (June) but Tower Grands well and truly dead the business and housing developments are being wound up and all modus shopping centres are up for sale.

If I remember correctly the shopping centre made a small loss last year because of its heavily discounted opening rates but it only has two vacant units despite the recession, less than its ever had since opening.

http://www.wigan.gov.uk/WiganIsChanging/index.htm

a photo gallery of the demolition of the swimming baths and library buildings for their replacements, saves me a job of going taking pictures of it happening.

Also, to give some perspective - a virtual tour of both schemes


<object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EomILoGmHaY&hl=en&fs=1&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EomILoGmHaY&hl=en&fs=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object>

I'm going to try and update the O.P of this thread later tonight, as I'm finding lots of interesting stuff on the planning department...

Just stumbled across this, a model of the Eckersley Mills site masterplan - which I mentioned a year or two ago. Last I heard it is still active in some sorts. The thing that caught my eye the most is that there is a high-rise element (I've counted 15 storeys on the elevations) - it could be that, now the Grand Arcade tower has hit the dust, that this could be, if approved, the tallest building proposed for Wigan.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/1613321W607a.jpg?t=1254074484

desperately trying to find a bigger version!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/3287845869_484e983bbc.jpg?t=1254073060
and an aerial of the site for clarity.

Furthermore, the site to the top right of that aerial is the First bus depot, who are moving out to a new proposed depot by Martland mill near the DW Stadium, meaning this site too will be open for development - all going well, recovery and all that, this side of Wigan could be mighty impressive!

I like how theyve reoriented the baths and done a tunnel under the town hall for it.

Morgan Est starts piling work on £217m Wigan Life Centre

http://www.cnplus.co.uk/news/business/morgan-est-starts-piling-work-on-217m-wigan-life-centre/5210690.article

I'll try and get some pictures of it one day when I'm going into work, it'd help if there were more double deckers on my bus route so I could get a top-down view. The swimming pool site is one deep excavation site a the mo :|

The council have set up two webcams, one on the north site (where the childrens library was), and one on the south site (where the swimming baths used to be).

http://www.wigan.gov.uk/WiganIsChanging

Pretty good views!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/wiganpoollib.jpg?t=1258207628
14/11/09

I hadn't fully realised how big the Library (North Site) is (the right webcam shot) this will make a pretty decent space then when the steps and paving part is added to the Weind space, pity that massive Head sculpture isn't permantly staying there. The South site shows what I was saying the other day about the depth of the excavation (suppose it isn't hard to do seeing as it was a pool, mind! So glad these are happening and watching the neysayers get angry that more change is a coming to their town :|

It is a real pity however that the Modus tower isn't going up next to the Pool, and the other Modus residential/retail building proposed where that ugly, white concrete Council building is, it would have resulted in the entire East side of the Town centre being rebuilt. Not too bothered as long as something prominant is proposed and built on the tower's site, which I imagine the Council will push for given they based most of their Unitary plan around it!

Perhaps we should start an official under construction thread for the life centre so we can post regular webcam shots.
The sites even larger when you consider the equally sized Town Hall plot in between the two with the new underpass going through the centre of it.

I might PM one of the mods to have the thread changed to 'WIGAN | Full Summary of Developments' or something along those lines, it annoys me its just 'Wigan', as if nothing is going on :| but yes, perhaps a seperate thread for the construction shots.

I might PM one of the mods to have the thread changed to 'WIGAN | Full Summary of Developments'

can't ignore my home town :cheers:

I thought you were scouse :P

wigan born and half-bread mate. :)

yeh that's right yer half-breed!

:okay:

Comdot ,, can you put these type of threads in a Greater Manchester Sub Forum , because if im honest i could'nt give a shit what's going on in Stockport or Wigan :)

Stick a Pooles pie in that bread,nowt like a meat n' tata pie barm:eat:

Comdot ,, can you put these type of threads in a Greater Manchester Sub Forum , because if im honest i could'nt give a shit what's going on in Stockport or Wigan :)

nah that makes no sense. there are actually some big projects in wigan and stockport, eckersley mills for instance, highriser. :)

there are other threads on minor stuff though that i wish was just posted in existing threads. i might go on an amalgamation drive soon... that's if i can keep up with the rate people make threads on these things.

:cheers:

Stick a Pooles pie in that bread,nowt like a meat n' tata pie barm:eat:

if you're buying. :cheers:

i think the blocks of flats look much better with the cladding.Shame the residents have to look out over the eyesore they've been left with.the car park ramp looks terrible!

(in reply to comment about cladding colours)

and finally for the treble, stumbled across this on the planning portal..

as part of the Trencherfield 'Heritage Quarter', a 15 STOREY apartment block

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/WebDetailPlans253458011.jpg?t=1204933860

ummmm lovely for the so called heritage quarter.will the materials used stay in a better condition than the wooden cladding used on the new apartments in the Trencherfield complex? allready looking shoddy.:ohno:

Pool demolition.. I actually miss this building now its gone, it was one of the more visible buildings in the town centre. Nevermind, progress is being made!

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RfDosz1PXZE&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RfDosz1PXZE&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

Fi, I wouldn't worry too much about that rendering being that A) it is very crude and B) I'd put good money on that proposal being dead in the water.

As for the Flats, er.. wouldn't say it was a great improvement for the cost - a more natural use of materials and colours would've been far better I think, considering these blue tones are to 'blend' in with the other buildings - we don't have any blue buildings! As for the ramp, I don't see what is so bad about it?

A few snippets of news:

* A planning application has been submitted for a 3 storey addition to Trencherfield mill as part of the Heritage Way, I'll add pictures soon but it is black-rendered, glazed and has a cor-ten steel canopy along with new landscaping - looks reasonable!
*The playing field near Wigan college is being duck up by archeologists (apparently) before plans are approved for a new Youth Centre
* It seems a new relief road is being proposed out of Wigan town centre between Pottery road and the Saddle junction to ease traffic leaving town, it'll go through the bus depot (has they're planning on moving to a new location).

I guess they will make that bypass one way and make the original road one way as well. Would make the building in the middle of saddle junction dwarfed by a new 'roundabout'.
Im still hoping the Youth Centre isnt approved, good idea but wrong location, should have been on the cricket ground itself or a different site.

The crane has gone up on the South site (The Pool), I can't find me camera charger so my camera is redundant! :( I'll get a webcam shot mind tomorrow. It's a bittersweet sight mind, because it's nextdoor to the Tower Grand site, and you can't help thinking when stood in the town centre that the crane would have likely been the height of the block.

But, as they say, 'Wigan is changing' :D

Yeah its a pity, 3 sites where towers were proposed:
Tower Grand
Former Town Hall
Former Police HQ

And nothing come of any of them due to recession, Chinamex also fell through leaving the Westwood Business Park lonely with only the brand new council offices (though council workers dont like working there as the climate controls screwy, too hot in summer and cold in winter), doesnt look like anything much is happening at the mill location which had its slate tiles swiped. The former bakers demolition was completed without the cleanup leaving that massive site available just outside the Town centre. Northern Crescent town centre redevelopment has had no news since the Public Consultation two years ago, likely quietly sitting on the schemes awaiting a developer pile.

Only new development seems to be the Mayors Boat House office conversion and several road improvements south of the town centre, Full Town Centre ring road (Frog Lane stretch) apparantly approved as well though not seen any movement on that.

And after I posted that last night todays paper frontpage was a Isle of Mann developer had bought 8 former modus sites and was quoted as saying 'we dont leave property idle' though hinting they might downgrade the development or introduce 'safe and reliable food retailing' (which im sure anything bigger than a Metro store would be blocked) they said they were always open to scaling the project back up again even if midway through planning/application process for a different development if the market picked up.

Aces, I soooo hope they press ahead with a tall building, the site needs a tall building because of its location on the fringe of the town centre, also to cover the car park of the Grand Arcade and to put that final piece of the jigsaw after the pool is built.

Typical Wigan Evening Posts commentators are all on their usual, tiresome campaign to stop anything new being built.. 'We don't want shops and apartments', 'An ugly tower', etc etc etc... Pathetic little curtain twitchers.

Anyway, some webcam shots from this morning.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pool2.jpg?t=1268340062
pool site

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/lib2.jpg?t=1268340387
Library site

Might as well put the said article in there too..

Plans to build on Tower site

http://editorial.jpress.co.uk/web/Upload/WIGA//TH1_113201046Tower.jpg

11 March 2010
By Charles Graham

A project which symbolised Wigan's plunge into recession is back on.
Out of the blue last night it was announced that the site earmarked for the high-rise Tower Grand building in the town centre has been bought by developers.

They intend either to press ahead with the plan or replace it with some other economy-boosting venture.

Tower Grand was to have been the next phase of Wigan's ambitious Grand Arcade shopping centre and planning permission had been granted to then owner/developers Modus to create multi-storey flats, offices and hotel at the bottom of Millgate.

But in 2008 the scheme was put on ice as the housing market floundered and then last year debt-ridden Modus went into administration.

But now Scarborough Development Group has emerged as the new owner of the land - one of eight former Modus sites across the country bought from the administrators for a total of £37m. And its bosses say they are not in the business of letting their land go idle.

Full story in today's (Thursday) Wigan Evening Post ...

SDG managing director Mark Jackson said that these were early days and options remain open for which course will be taken. But they would not have bought the land if they weren't planning to put it to good use.

He said: "We do not want to commit ourselves to one particular project at this early stage. It may be that we wait a short while and decide that the original plan has become a goer.

"Or we may come up with alternative ideas, perhaps incorporating food retail - which has proved to be a defensive market throughout the recession.

There may be planning processes and it is not inconceivable that we apply for something different only to discover that by the time the planning process is complete the Tower Grand option has become viable again.

"But we are keen to develop the site, that is for sure. We are not in the habit of buying sites then just sitting on them. It's not what we do."



and 'said comments'

another big glass and metal box

Wigan's version of the ugly Beetham Tower in Manchester?

Why not build some more shops so we can have even more empty ones in the town centre?

"Or we may come up with alternative ideas, perhaps incorporating FOOD RETAIL" - Fantastic, just what Wigan needs, more fast food outlets. Perhaps Dave Whelan could open up a late night Poole's Pie shop.

When will they learn,there is nothing wrong with old buildings they lasted a lot longer than these new eye sore high rise buildings ever will,when i go shpping i want the sun shine on me not the shadow of one of these,well cant say what i want to say about them

Agree with Kevin Davies. I would rather the older buildings they look much nicer than these characterless unsightly shower of glass and steel buildings. Keep these ugly buildings in Manchester.

Who wants to live next to a car park,offices and a shopping centre

Steel frame has started to be erected (bottom of site)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pool3.jpg?t=1268470593

I'll try and get some site shots soon now I've refound my charger :D :|

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pool4.jpg?t=1268915284
18-03-10

As a side note, that building in the top right is the library where Orwell wrote The Road to Wigan Pier.

As a side note, that building in the top right is the library where Orwell wrote The Road to Wigan Pier.


Yup yup, recently refurbed n turned into our new museum

Thankfully dropping the previous name 'History Shop', centuries old library and they had the gall to name it a history 'SHOP'.

Today's webcam screenshot

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pool5.jpg?t=1269601551

Also, the new insulation and cladding can be seen spreading across the front of the multi-storey council block in the background - the last of the 6 (I think) buildings that have been renovated.

Work is well underway for the latest stage of the Greenheart Project:
The Bickershaw South (west Leigh)

The area for the 650 homes has been cleared (though I personally miss the old very derelict hotel that stood on the corner of the Swing Bridge)
Putting in piping and roadwork seems to have started.

Tried to find a really good map of the project and can't.
Desperate to know what the outdoor events arena will be like and where the marina will be, and what it will look like.

I find it bizarre that Firs Lane isn't being extended to go into the Bickershaw North part of the project - the only vehicular access road into that part of the site appears to be from the north through Bickershaw!!

Greenheart Project:
http://www.wigan.gov.uk/pub/council/agendas/2005-06/environment/250106/report07-ap2.pdf
Bickershaw Element of the project:
http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/docdownload.aspx?doc=Map%20of%20Country%20Park%20with%20Golf%20and%20Activity%20Centre.pdf (open with adobe)

Good find, JohnnyLeigh

I'm not familiar with the Leigh side of the Burough so it's good to have some info on whats happening there, a big project no doubt and I'm always glad to see a bit of greenery thrown in :D

Just found this image, but can't find a bigger version! (Tried to blow this up without ruining it too much)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/JSV.jpg?t=1269901809

It also looks (although I can't be fully certain) that the pool now has a light grey/silver tile cladding rather than the dull, dark brown.. needs further investigating

I thought they were ditching the Olympic, middle and training size pool and only having one. How come theirs now a second small pool?

Also hope they have a cafe overlooking the pool like they used too, had fond memories of it.

Update on the dam, half of Douglas Valley has been deforested, the new bridge is installed, theyve excavated the valley sides almost down to river level and their presently pile driving in sheet piles to preserve the original course of the river.

I thought they were ditching the Olympic, middle and training size pool and only having one. How come theirs now a second small pool?

Also hope they have a cafe overlooking the pool like they used too, had fond memories of it.

Well I was discussing this with a mate (not because he is into regeneration or architecture, but because he likes swimming, lol) and I think perhaps that the second, smaller pool is perhaps for Gym users only? Could be wrong, but what if it was a main public pool for everyone and a private pool within the gym section of the building, there is no way of telling how long it is with it being a sectional, it could be a decent size.

I would imagine it would continue to be for Small children, pregnant mothers, etc type activities. It looks to small for adult lengths to me and yet too big for say a Turkish cold pool.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/lib3.jpg?t=1270318471

Just noticed the crane base is in place for the Library building, two big red cranes on the Wigan skyline.. those native cretins won't know what's hit em! :D:D:D

and the pool progression

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pool6.jpg?t=1270318629

Two planning applications have been made for the conversion of the Mesnes Park Lodge on 26th March.

A/10/74034
and
A/10/74036

Document viewer on planning website seems to be down however :(

We really need to invest more in the hospital, considering its the main hospital for 300K people its just not good enough.
Missed a trick letting Tescos - Tescos!! - having the Central park site, that would have been ideal for a new hospital - perfect space for it, road links from every direction and practically in the heart of town.

Expensive site however, Tesco paid 10m for it and the existing Infirmary sites larger I believe. plus they did acquire the old Grammer school to make a decent sized central outpatient department.

What I would probably do is build a multistory car park for staff at the existing one just to the south on that former mill site (name escapes me) and ban staff from parking at the main building. Theres already an NHS staff shuttlebus that runs between the Infirmary and the outpatients building every 20 minutes or so they could easily make it stop at a central car park.

10million! Your a font of information watcher
Your parking idea is a good one, certainly feasible.

I had a quick google of the sites and I dont think the existing site is bigger, might check properly tomorrow if i remember.
*Building on that central park site would allow for a new integrated design instead of the inefficient step by step design of the existing one. Also the new site could be built up instead of just sprawled - cheaper to do that on a new site than the trauma of building up an existing site.*

** marks a slight foray into fantasyland where funding for this is forthcoming.

This was all precipitated by my getting lost in Wigan getting to and coming from the hospital, while the desire for improved facilities came from anger that a relative who urgently needed an MRI had to wait 3 weeks.

'New' Development (i only just learned of it last night!)

Terrific economic news for Leigh:
Derelict factory on 12.7 acre site in the centre of town between the main shopping centre and the canal, 100ft from the bus station, is to be redeveloped in a £50million investment project.


Salmon Harvester has signed up Tesco Extra and Cineworld to operate the supermarket and multiplex cinema proposed for its £50m retail and leisure-led scheme on the former Quinn radiator factory site on Spinning Jenny Way in Leigh town centre in Lancashire

In a planning application submitted on 16 September to Wigan Council, Salmon proposes a 100,000 sq ft supermarket, seven-screen cinema and four restaurants.

from http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?storycode=3150545#ixzz0kH6pR6Ju

This would be a 112,000 sq ft Tesco Extra, 7 screen Cinema, 4 restaurants and landscaping improvements to the canal waterside.
Should create between 500-780 jobs.

The most pleasing part of this development for me is the cinema, having a cinema in Leigh has been needed for years.
Finally getting one and it being right in the town centre? Brilliant.
Will reinforce Leigh as the centre for the wider leigh area, help stop people going further -and solely by car - to the cinemas miles away in Wigan, Bolton, Warrington and the Trafford Centre. Therefore good for the environment as well. :cheers:
The restaurants are positive aswell, having a cinema situated by canal side eateries will hopefully prove quite attractive.
Any supermarket is normally a bit blah, but this is a great location - again to have a large supermarket in the town centre will help draw people into the actual centre and not just shop in the edge of centre retail parks.
Also means Leigh will have the 'full set':
Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons (planned at Sports village*) & Tesco (planned at town centre), plus Aldi, Lidl & Netto. All within about a mile of each other!

* = http://www.leighreporter.co.uk/jobstodaylocalnews/Store-set-for-LSV.5524145.jp

Excellent development really, despite the lacking of a housing development to keep Leighs population climbing - a small but ambitious 10 storey apartment tower by the canal would have made this perfect.
But we have the Bickershaw development which should boost Leigh by about 2K so it balances out.

---

When I think of how much the town has improved over the last 10 years, with the Sports Village, new retail park, new supermarkets (which haven't killed off the indoor market)
its quite amazing.
Random example = 10 years ago we had zero swimming pools now we have 3.
Ok its not everything, but thousands of jobs, vastly improved leisure facilities...
Leigh still needs Kenyon Junction or a Metrolink but thats really the only major battle left.
Makes me more worried about the Conservatives getting in though :(


---

Information about the development:
http://www.salmondevelopments.com/news_detail.php?id=40
Shows the site now, aerially from the west.
Larger version of the picture can be found on this small pdf if you dont feel like squinting:
http://www.salmondevelopments.com/downloads/Salmon%20Newsletter%202009.pdf

http://www.salmondevelopments.com/projects_current_detail.php?id=53
Shows a picture of what the development will look like, aerially from the east.

Timeline of development:
http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?storycode=3146674 bought the site in August.
http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?storycode=3150545 signed up Tesco and Cineworld in October.
http://www.leighreporter.co.uk/leigh-news/Retail-centre-plans-unveiled.5793783.jp proposals went on public display in November, recieved very positive reaction.


Only hitch might - surprise, surprise - be Wigan council determined to keep Leigh down -
Found the demolition application here:
http://www2.wigantoday.net/publicnotices/wpr609998.pdf
Part of it says the application does not adhere to the 'development plan of the area,' says it would 'affect the character and appearance of the area' - yes from a rotting crumbling dump ruining the town centre to a shiny new cinema and free parking!


If Wigan Council reject this I will buy a pitchfork, gather a mob and burn Wigan Town Hall to the ground.

Two planning applications have been made for the conversion of the Mesnes Park Lodge on 26th March.

A/10/74034
and
A/10/74036

Document viewer on planning website seems to be down however :(

Plans are up now and pretty cool, all the park gates are having their original flags (currently under Tarmac) exposed. Old bowling green store being changed into a toilet block with lockers and changing rooms. Period features being restored externally.

The lodge is getting major refurb, basement a groundkeepers store, canteen, offices. Ground floor a reception, police office, small meeting and exhibition rooms and first floor two more offices. All bricked windows to be reglazed. The Lodge entrance gate original stone paths re-exposed but in addition the pedestrian area outside of the park will be changed to stone flags from tarmac, road narrowed and a pelican crossing installed.

Tower crane was assembled today on the Library (North) Site, so now two red cranes dominating Wigan's skyline :D:D:D:D I'll get some pictures on Monday now the pace is picking up.

Webcam shots

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pool7.jpg?t=1271526798
The pool

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/lib4.jpg?t=1271526840
The library

Just get us a 60m+ apartment block to the side of it all on the Tower Grand site!! :| :D

:banana:

According to the Leigh Journal the new Morrisons, Tescos and Cinema have all been approved!

http://www.leighjournal.co.uk/news/8124828.Two_new_superstores_for_Leigh/

- Not quite sure how accurate this is as the developer said, in a very recent press release, that the decision wasn't due till the 4th of May.
So either the Leigh Journal is wrong, or Wigan Council have bumped it up to make sure that everyone knows about this well before the election.
Hopefully there will be some better confirmation soon.

Perhaps we should rename the thread (again!) now we've both Wigan and Leigh coverage in full swing.

Two photies from the 'Wigan is Changing' website

Pool progress
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pool8.jpg?t=1272615839

Library site
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/lib5.jpg?t=1272615911

Perhaps we should rename the thread (again!) now we've both Wigan and Leigh coverage in full swing.

Ha yep if you want to! I think Wigan refers to Wigan borough already though

You should definitely add something for the Sports Village on that first post seen as how its pretty much completed!
Maybe something about the Greenheart project in the 'under development'

- nice to see work coming along on the baths.

- Also, about the 'approval' of the 2 supermarkets & Cinema in Leigh;
That approval was from the wigan council Planning Officer, so hopefully the actual meeting on the 4th *should* just be a formality and we can see the south of the borough with its own cinema by mid-2011 + the hundreds of jobs in the supermarkets
^Obviously the newspaper article was just labour jumping the gun to get some positive publicity pre-election. Not that they really need it here.

the top two floors have started to be assembled on the pool, giving it a bit more (much needed) bulk :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pool9.jpg?t=1273049606

You can also get a 'before and after' sense with the council block in the background, the left side is how it was before and the right with the new white and blue render.. I am still undecided on this whole renovation scheme of the blocks..

As my mum points out its always ongoing as long as weve lived here, as soon as they finish renovating the last one they start a new renovation program on the first again.

Ferge/Watcher do you have any more info on this:
http://www.wigantoday.net/news/new_super_arts_venue_location_is_revealed_1_762106
news to me!
Seems like an interesting good development, plus - TV studios in wigan!!

Is there going to be a new build or are they just going to convert the existing build?

I mentioned it in the media thread couple of months ago but at that point they hadnt announced a location and it was assumed they were gonna take one of the former mills. Much smaller building than I expected, within 5 min walking distance of TC, 10 min of stations but right near some very busy roads. They will be using the existing facilities since its meant to be up and running by September, also not TV studios, more a training centre for media students like a media college only smaller and more elite. A Radio and TV studio but only for practise and training, your not going to see broadcasts from there any time soon :)

Winstanley College and probably Wigan College already have similar facilities though these will probably be higher quality equipment.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=turner+street+wigan&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Turner+St,+Wigan+WN1+3&gl=uk&ei=gP7jS-fRJ5Lu0gTMiIC1AQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ8gEwAA

I mentioned it in the media thread couple of months ago but at that point they hadnt announced a location and it was assumed they were gonna take one of the former mills. Much smaller building than I expected, within 5 min walking distance of TC, 10 min of stations but right near some very busy roads. They will be using the existing facilities since its meant to be up and running by September, also not TV studios, more a training centre for media students like a media college only smaller and more elite. A Radio and TV studio but only for practise and training, your not going to see broadcasts from there any time soon :)

Winstanley College and probably Wigan College already have similar facilities though these will probably be higher quality equipment.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=turner+street+wigan&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Turner+St,+Wigan+WN1+3&gl=uk&ei=gP7jS-fRJ5Lu0gTMiIC1AQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ8gEwAA

Thanks Watcher. Sorry I missed your comment in the media thread!

Ah yes that looks like quite a small building. :ohno:
The location isnt bad though, I think the road shouldnt be too much of a problem - at least its at the bottom of that bloody hill.

Pity they didn't use a mill like you suggest - every time I see one of the mills in Leigh I can't help but think what a criminal waste their neglect is.

same story in Wigan, mate :( The Eckersley mill complex is (from what I've read) one of if not the biggest of its kind (dunno how reliable that source was) and it is falling apart - if only they'd the money to do the proposal of turning it into a marina and mix used area but that is never going to happen, is it? :(

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/pool10.jpg?t=1273415573

Getting very bulky towards the carraigeway elevation

Can you post north and south site images for comparison when updating?

Can you post north and south site images for comparison when updating?


little if any notable change to north site

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/northsite.jpg?t=1273417236

today, compared to last image [30-04]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/lib4.jpg?t=1273417307

Theirs progress just hard to see, look to the left of the centre truck in the bottom picture, large platform built.

Or wrong way round, the platforms vanished!

Another article on the drama academy in the paper, it will initially have 30-50 students and be expanded in future years, guess in that sense the buildings the right size then.

Council has put the Civic Centre aka the 'Gas Showrooms' up for sale when Environmental Services and Planning departments move into the Life Centre in 2012. Currently home to 250 staff its a very modern office space, if they cant find a buyer who values it to their satisfaction they intend to lease it.

Every morning I've tried to get some pictures of the site, mid-way through my journey to work. This is the best I've managed :| I'll try again when I've got more time and also get some of the Library site (which now has a lift shaft and steelwork erected). I always try and listen in on people's reactions to the developments on the bus, I don't think people realise it's still a pool and more a new car park, lol :|

Pool from the carraigeway elevation (opposite to webcam view)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/S73F9884.jpg?t=1275130720

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/S73F9879.jpg?t=1275130902

what I'd give to see the Tower Grand going up beside it :(

Yep, all the floors and frameworks done on two sides, looking good however you can only see it from that side, neighbouring roads your walking along and just get flashes of it.

http://www.wigan.gov.uk/pub/webcam/northsite.jpg
http://www.wigan.gov.uk/pub/webcam/southsite.jpg

Watcher you've linked directly off the site there I think, it's keeping upto date with the webcam views, haha.

Saying that it makes life easier to find them on here, the Library site's liftshaft must be full height now, you can see steelwork just peeping over the facade as you go down Library street towards the Pool. Glad to see both now have some decent amount of superstructure, I'm only hoping that cladding is imminent to the Pool site, and that they've not gone for a poor colour palette on the pool..

I'd hope for either the silver or terracotta I've seen on renderings rather than the turd brown. Saying that before they started demolishing the pool I did noticed a test rig of tiles beside the pool and they were a selection of terracotta tiles so, fingers crossed.

Yeah, Was hoping they might be gifs or something an autoupdate but you have to refresh the page to update them, was a pain to find the direct links, kept getting the button graphics.

Anyway rear left at the library site definetley some structure, I thought it was a lift shaft but it has windows or possibly doors so might be a staircase. Unless of course its a double lift shaft? But the doors look to close together for that.

Whelan wants new hotel


SPORT magnate Dave Whelan wants to create a new hotel alongside his football and rugby stadium.


The millionaire Wigan Athletic and DW Sports chairman exclusively revealed today that he hopes to convert and extend the former Fitness First gym on Stadium Way.

He was addressing Wigan’s shortage of such facilities and said that the projected 75-room building would cater mainly for those visiting or using the adjoining DW Stadium, either for sporting or conference events.

Most modern stadia have a hotel linked to them, some of them very plush, five-star outfits. Mr Whelan’s hoped-for facility is rather more modest, coming in at the “budget” level.

But it would nonetheless press into service an empty building and create jobs both in its conversion and staffing. He said that in taking preliminary soundings from the council, he had received some positive feedback, but an outline planning application was currently being drawn up and would be submitted in six to eight weeks’ time.

There has been a long-acknowledged shortage of hotel facilities of all standards in the borough and numerous major projects which have been shelved in recent years on account of the recession have included one.

Among those developments which could yet include a hotel are Trencherfield Mill, Eckersley Mill and the former Wigan Police headquarters on Harrogate Street, but none look anywhere near coming to realisation.

The gym was formerly run by JJB Sports but has stood empty for two years and Mr Whelan now has the freehold.

He said he hoped that the project would involve building an extra 25 rooms onto the back of the centre as well as converting the existing premises which were built about a decade ago.

He said: “We want to turn the Fitness First building into a budget hotel.

Having experience of running Wrightington Country Club we would run this too rather than bring in another company.

“We are at an early stage but there have been favourable comments from the council because we are not blessed by many hotels locally.

“It would meet a need for stop-over places, not least for those attending conferences at the stadium.”


Comments have been disabled on this article and I'm not suprised why. This morning when I first read the story there were 2 comments, both were.. shock horror, NIMBY-fuelled and well just racist. 'We don't want another hotel in Wigan, it'll be full of asylums' (I really do not know how some people's minds work.. can they not tell the difference between an asylum seeker and a er... tourist/visitor?? strange. But I mean, of course a wiganer wouldn't want a hotel in Wigan.. they live there, the tits!

Also, I noticed on way home today that the pool has some framework in place for cladding to commence, at the bottom of the Library street elevation..bet it won't be long before it starts appearing :D:D:D:D

Yeah we need a budget and a town centre 3 star hotel I think, having the budget there makes sense though how well it will do as a non-chain I dont know, running a budget chain is quite different to running a country club in terms of marketing and keeping costs down.

Couple of hotels, budget and 3-star, for Wigan sounds like a good idea.
I think they should be located nearer to the train station though, but then I guess its only a 15minute walk/couple of minutes in a taxi to Robin Park.

Does the DW have conference facilities? If not thats what we need to be looking at for Wigan.
Its on the west coast line pretty much equi-distant between Liverpool & Manchester, it should be trying to target the business conference market.

The DW does have conference facilities, having been there myself for afew.. they are very good and it does do well on that side of things, but they do need to up the antie and maybe advertise and market alot better than they do.
Having said that, even Liverpool struggles on the conference front to Manchester as it is much stronger in that area than most other cities outside London.

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/picaday/10wl.jpg
courtersy of WiganWorld. A nice overview of the Pool site.

and this, not the finest example of this style but it's worth showing

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/picaday/10tilt.jpg

and the original
http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/picaday/10tce.jpg

Its pretty coold image modification, makes it look like a model!

South site now has its 3rd wing, North site about half the frameworks now done and some floors in on first level.

Peel have aquired Astley Business Park on the A580, their is already planning consent for 32,000 sqm of mixed use office and light industrial units, access works are expected to be completed in the Autumn and the first tenant Cloverleaf Pubs (specalise in operating on business parks with meeting facilities and early opening hours) plan to open late 2010 converting the existing farm buildings.

http://www.peel.co.uk/pictures/propertypark/1/9/0/.190/~iDbcU323/Aerial.jpg
http://www.peel.co.uk/pictures/propertypark/1/9/0/.190/~iDbcU323/Plan.jpg

http://www.peel.co.uk/media/Land%20and%20Property/Business%20Parks/Astley_Brochure_FINAL.pdf

Don't think these have been posted before.. images of the model that had been on display in the planning office. I really do hope the developers who acquired the Tower Grand site get it built or something of its size, than throw up a small Tesco express or something :( I think the model demonstrates superbly how a multi-storey here will compliment the Joint Ventures scheme and topography of the parallel streets.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/JSC20Model201.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/JSC20Model207.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/JSC20Model209.jpg

Compliments to Oy from Wiganworld website for the images.

Theyve breezeblocked the ground floor on the south side of the south site and scaffolding is going up to bricklay the upper levels.

I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow of what they're upto, I managed to get a look on the way home from work - it does seem the cladding will be a block style cladding, very pale stone coloured.. better than what I feared actually, as some renders seem to show crappy brown tiles. It may prove to be a fairly light building despite its bulk.

Didn't get any pictures of the Library, was a bit busy up that end and well... I'm soft :|

Here are some of the Pool construction (off camera phone):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/DSC_0066.jpg?t=1279897368

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/DSC_0064.jpg?t=1279897481

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/DSC_0069.jpg

http://kinnear.wigan.gov.uk/planapps/PlanAppsDetails.asp?passAppNo=A/10/74570

Application to renew planning permission for Westwood Park. Since the Chinese Government pulled out you wonder what their hoping for.

4 things from the Leigh half of the borough:

The £50m 150,000sqft mixed use development in Leigh town centre was approved by the council in mid-July.

Involves a 7 screen cinema, an enormous Tesco, 4 restaurants and a general 'landscaping' so that the canal is made more of a feature in the town centre.

Great development for leigh.

"work will start shortly" it says here -
http://www.salmondevelopments.com/projects_current_detail.php?id=53

Complete some time in 2011, not sure when.
Says on the news section of their site that there will be a full opening 'before christmas.'

---

Also apparently "Alard Properties won planning consent to build another major mixed-use development, on the other side of the canal to the Salmon Harvester [cinema/tesco] scheme, close to Leigh town centre, which will be known as Bridgewater Place.
The Alard masterplan, prepared by HOW Planning with Taylor Young on behalf of Alard, includes 103,000 sq ft of offices and light industrial space, 320 family homes, and 6,500 sq ft of small local retail units"

---

Those^ 320 homes, plus the 640 they are building near me means Leigh next year will gain 1000 homes. Won't be in time for the census though I imagine.
2/3 thousand people?

That 640 home development is well underway, they are moving quite quickly, the landscape has already dramatically changed, I could try to rustle some pictures up if you want evidence.
Its part of the Bickershaw South development, which in turn is part of the Greenheart masterplan for the borough.

---

Another retail park too. Next to the old hilton park site.

Don't have too much information about it unfortunately.

Seen the plan and from what I can tell its a small-ish one, 6 units?
It was designed by the Pozzon(i?) Design Group on behalf of Greenbank Partnership (who were behind the LSV)

This would be next to B&Q, over the road from an ASDA, Sainsburys, KFC and larger Parsonage Retail Park.

----

Fair amount of private developments in leigh, its a pleasant change!

I think (stress think) that there's glazing to a good portion of the upper levels of the Pool building, facing the carriageway. It was hard to tell as it was a dull, rainy day along with the scaffolding being in the way but I'm sure I saw some windows.

Wigan Life Centre – Milestone ‘Topping Out’ Ceremony Celebration
Wednesday 18th August 2010 (ref: 300/2010)

4,000 tonnes of concrete…

1,800 tonnes of structural steelwork...

Four pre-cast lift shafts…

50 sections of pre-cast stairs...

These are the basic building blocks for Life or to be more specific, the new Wigan Life Centre.

The multi-million pound project to transform the delivery of public services in Wigan Borough is about to reach an important milestone as building contractors prepare for the traditional ‘topping out’ ceremony for one of the iconic new buildings.

On Monday August 23 construction company Morgan Sindall will mark the last piece of steelwork going into the building on the south site of the project by installing a commemorative plinth in the roof structure.

The contractors will use a special silver trowel to lay the plinth which will then be presented to the council.

Work on the Life Centre project is taking place on two sites either side of Wigan Town Hall.

The North site, at the top of Millgate, will include a One Stop Shop for all public services, an Information and Learning Zone, a Neighbourhood Zone and the Tourist Information Centre.

The South site, on the former Wigan International Pool, will see a brand new swimming pool as part of a Healthy Living Zone.

Leader of Wigan Council, Lord Peter Smith, who will be present at the topping out ceremony, says: “It’s a fantastic project that will see all the services the council and its partners provide accessible from one central location. The Life Centre may be in Wigan but it is a facility for everyone in our borough and represents the future of not just council services but housing, police and leisure and we are all looking forward to the day that it is open for business.

“The construction has given the local economy a much-needed boost and has created jobs. We believe the new building will continue to act as a catalyst to make Wigan an even more attractive place for future investment.”

Ongoing work on the two sites now includes the mechanical and electronic installation before the walls and windows go in all ready for the grand opening next year.

“We are delighted to celebrate such an important landmark in the construction of the Life Centre with all the parties working hard to deliver a top class service for the community,” says Brian Barritt, Morgan Sindall senior contracts manager. “We hope the people of Wigan will now be able to get a real sense of what the completed facility will look like.”


http://www.wigan.gov.uk/News/LifeCentreToppingOut.htm

Wigan Wallgate Masterplan
http://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=1319
(My selected report highlights)

£657,000 project made up of £250,000 from LTP, £200,000 from HLF and £207,000,(£80,000 Highways Maintenance Capital, £121,000 Advertising Revenue, £6,000 from Highway Maintenance Revenue Budget.

Stage 2 bid to Heritage Lottery Fund to improve the quality of materials used in the project, decision expected September.

Work is progressing on a new Street Scene Strategy for Wigan town centre which will
set out the key principles for improving town centre streets, including reducing clutter
and providing more greenery. The scheme provides an advance opportunity to put
these street scene aims into practice as part of the first phase of the Saddle Junction
Improvement.

Pedestrian flow on Library Street and Wallgate has increased due to the Nightlife having increased substantially in the 10 years since the last plan was formed due to later licensing hours, pedestrianisation of roads at night and increased taxi provision as well as night bus services meaning it sees 24 hour usage.

For the daytime economy, the expansion of parking facilities at Wigan North Western
has intensified its use as a park & ride site. There is also evidence of increased
interchange between the two stations to transfer from local train services onto the
West Coast Main Line. There have been major changes in the nature of the shops and
businesses since the last review, resulting in some parking restrictions being
incompatible with those shops and businesses.

The Council’s Pavement Café Policy, published in July 2009, has resulted in several
applications in this area. Existing and potential demand for pavement café use in this
area will be catered for within the proposals.

Wigan Cabinet Members will remember in Dec 2007 a vote resulted in the defering of a decision to pedestrianise Wallgate. The proposals put forward as part of this scheme take into account the concerns of the traders on Library Street by maintaining traffic flow through the area, and therefore, the minute above has been addressed.

The overall objective of the scheme is to create a high quality public realm gateway into
Wigan town centre. The highway works offer an opportunity to implement urban design
improvements to the streetscape through use of high quality traditional materials,
removal of street furniture clutter and introduction of trees into the town centre
streetscape.

Due to funding issues the plan has been split into three phases, phase 1 will see Wallgate Bridge to King Street, later phases will see the rest of Wallgate and Library Street work. has Wallgate has been selected as priority, as this is a key area and gives visitors to the town their first impression. Given the public realm around this area is of poor quality, the first impression of the town is often a poor one. Trees will be planted along the roads length. Traffic amendments will be consulted during the remainder of the year with a vote in December.

Proposed Traffic Amendments:

Restrict King Street and King Street West to Buses, Taxis and Cycles, through traffic will be diverted Chapel Lane-Caroline Street-Wallgate.

Major changes to traffic lights at junction of Wallgate and King Street West.

Amendments to bus lanes, taxi ranks and bus stops on Wallgate, King Street and Library Street

New crossings including priority pedestrian zebra crossings, removal of road markings.

Adjustments to temporary parking restrictions to allow more on street parking for businesses and visitors to Life centre.

Pavement cafe's as part of consultation and implementation process.

Environmental improvements

*Repave footway from Wallgate Bridge to King Street in York Stone
*Repave road in coloured tarmac
*Tree Planting on Wallgate
*Removal of Bollards
*High Quality street lighting between Wigan Wallgate and Wigan North Western to complement existing streetlighting
*Removal of signage and Street furniture
*Removal of Double yellow lines
*Talks with Network Rail about further improvements to stations in masterplan, they are supportive but unable to provide funding. This will be considered and aspiration and talks and proposals will continue

Image
http://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=1321

Another image

http://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=1320

Good work, WatcherZero!

I was only saying a few weeks back that it would be great to see some trees across from the North West station as the paving there could easily accommodate it. I do doubt however that a visitor's first impression would be tarnished by the paving, given the state of the station to start with. Along with many 'interesting' characters being ever present at the 3 bus stops outside of it.

The whole idea of creating the 'cafe culture' in Wigan still bemuses me. I can think of Lord Street in Southport where they not long since redid virtually all of the street furniture and paving. There you have a wide boulevard, full of beautiful greenery to one side and the canopies over the other, the traffic isn't a bother (despite being heavy). The pavement area is full of ample-sized outdoor seating and it works a treat.. I really miss it. Here though, we have tiny streets, with a fair gradient! I just don't see it looking right personally..

Still, a step in the right direction and I look forward to some big healthy trees (that can support the weight of many a King street reveller on their way home (or wherever) after a night out.

The EPA's Douglas Valley dam construction is driving me nuts, they are pile driving at ten past eight in the morning and if that wasnt bad enough theyve asked for permission to change morning start time from 8am to 7am!

Wigan Central Area Action Plan 1st phase consultation (scope and signficant issues identification) has started and runs until only 10th September.

Questionaire here (reg required)
http://wigan-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/wigancaap

Area covered
http://www.wigan.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/07AC9D26-419B-4C4E-918E-853690D91066/0/WiganTCAAP1333kb.pdf

On the question of boundarys I was pretty critical saying its impossible to think of it as one area when its split in two by the viaduct with only one pedestrian route alongside the busy A49 between them. The makeup of the areas is totally different as well.

On leisure facilities I said there needs to be a landmark theatre/performing venue, retail quantity and variety is good just need to renovate the Galleries and somehow get the Market to feel like a central part of the town centre.

Former Wigan Town Hall site gets application for Pay and Display Car Park (exciting, I know)..

ref: A/10/74627

It shows plans for the car park but (and I've only skimmed through the notes) it doesn't say what works they'll do to the building itself. I can't see them just cutting down the bushes and levelling the ground for parking, leaving an unstable building looming over parked cars. Not sure if it'd be constantly scaffolded or perhaps some structural works to keep it standing.

115 spaces (from small existing car park) surrounded by a 2m black pallisade fence, unbarriered, pedestrian exit to King Street.

Are they trying to make a carpark for clubbers?

Still its an overgrown site, so a carpark would be a small improvement, wonder if they will remove vegetation from the building however. There are some supports already I believe.

The proposed waste gassification plant in Abram that will generate 8mw of electricity and 16mw of thermal energy while selling the ash to the construction trade will go before planning committee on the 20th. 67 parking spaces, no increase in waste trucks expected, 50% of waste is from Wigan, 50% from the rest of GM.

Funnily the app includes a stables for 6 horses for 'personal use', a public fishing pond will be created and heated (more likely its the steam cooler). Environmental Services reccomends approval subject to £2500 being paid for 5 years of assessment of whether traffic was equal to that predicted when it opens.

Webcam views update:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/lib8.jpg?t=1284639889

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/pool13.jpg?t=1284639889

The south site parts of the building which will be offices seem to have been made watertight with glazing fitted, not happened on the public baths/stairwells parts however.

I've just read that the Eckersley mill masterplan has been revived, I'm trying to find some information online as it was in Tuesday's Wigan Observer. From what I've read it would seem (I'd hope) that nothing has been scrapped as part of it, such as the Marina or the new buildings.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/1613321W607a.jpg

Finding it hard to obtain any information on both the original and now revived scheme.

A screenshot from Maryland sec. site

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/eck3.jpg?t=1285420049

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/eck2.jpg

Report on Life Centre progress.
http://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=1609

Construction on schedule south site expected to open to public August 2011, north site Dec 2011. The builders tried to charge £46,000 for undiscovered mining works in february but the council rejected it.

2 of the Leigh projects are ramping up:

The Bickershaw South Project, which is well under way, will see Plank Lane closed for two weeks whilst they construct the canal marina and re-align the road!

Work will start on the £48million private project in the town centre very soon apparently*, with more info on its schedule out-
the Tesco store will be complete by next May and the Cineworld by November. 700 jobs.

*last time I was near the site the factory complex was still there??

Was only approved in May, the developer announced it recieved final approval in August.
Supermarket/Cinema are pretty simple shed buildings so they will go up pretty quick.

Ferge, Next planning committee has 3 planning apps to turn Eckersley Mills into 315 flats, offices, hotel, retail and leisure. It appears to be the 2008 proposal revived with a new central boulevard and seeking revised consent. I know theirs a couple of closed quays in Salford but I do wonder what the point is of a Marina with no access to the canal?

Eckersley Mills, on the South West edge of Wigan Town Centre built 1883-1920, grade 2 listed, formally the largest cotton mill site in the North West.

The scheme involves three separate applications which are explained below.
Planning Application - This application principally relates to a regeneration of the
historic Eckersley Mills complex with the provision of 315 residential units, offices, a
hotel, and retail units and cultural/leisure facilities.

The scheme involves the conversion and restoration of the three listed principal mill
buildings, associated ancillary building including the Eckersley Offices and attached
Pirn Winding Building , Weaving shed, 1900 Building and also Reeling, Winding and
Beaming Building within the north western corner of the site.

The scheme involves alterations to the listed buildings to include the provision of a
glazed addition to the roofs of Mill 2. This is to replace the original top storey of the
building which was removed in 2006 as a result of the poor condition of its roof and
supporting structure. The building currently has a temporary roof at third floor level.
A similar roof top addition is also proposed for Mill 3 which will replace its existing
roof and form a fourth floor of the building. A number of listed buildings are
proposed to be demolished which include;

- The structure of the former canteen and welfare building (façade to be
retained)

- The roller shop adjacent to Mill 2 (Nos.42/64)

- Two small sheds (Nos. 39 and 54) which were formerly the boiler houses
serving Mills 2 and 3

- A range of poor quality workshop buildings (Nos.17, 28 and 30) sited to the
rear and side of the Eckersley Offices

- The triangular warehouse building (No.58) now used as offices, sited close to
the site entrance from Swan Meadow Road.
The refurbished listed buildings will be supplemented by a significant range of new
buildings within the site. A new water basin, with no connection to the canal, forms
the centre piece of the scheme.

The new buildings are of a contemporary design and appearance. The development
will involve the use of aluminium panels, brickwork, concrete and areas of structural
glazing to provide an appropriate contrast with the traditional appearance of the
historic buildings. The new build elements of the scheme principally include the
following;

- Three office buildings (C, D F) located alongside Swan Meadow Road which
range in height from three to five storeys. Two further five storey, office
buildings (E and G) are linked to, and set behind office buildings D and F.

- A group of 12 three storey town houses and five storey apartments are sited
within open land between the end of Mill 3 and Swan Meadow Road. A row
of eight town houses front directly onto Swan Meadow Road.

- A 6 storey rectangular building accommodating a hotel which is served by an
underground car park is located between Mill 1 and the proposed water basin

- A 14 storey tower accommodating 58 residential units and a ground floor
retail unit is positioned close to the western boundary of the site with Pottery
Terrace, adjacent to the Weaving Shed and the end of Mill 1.

- A new arts centre located behind and linked to the former Eckersley Offices
and attached Pirn building which wrap around the junction of Pottery Road
and Swan Meadow Road

- A two storey apartment building to be sited behind the retained façade of the
Canteen and Welfare building which is sited alongside Fourteen Meadows
Road and overlooks the River Douglas.


950 parking spaces, mostly underground or stacked in former mill buildings. A variety of public spaces including several public squares and a childrens play area. A sculpture court for public art installation. English Heritage approves of the urban village concept, the retention of the 3 main mills and other sympathetic elements but has reservations over the strength of the justification for demolition of some ancillary buildings.

Development will be carried out in phases over 8 years. All buildings are subservient to the original skyline with the exception of the 14 story tower, this tower has been seperatley judged to not detract from the skyline.

Tourism: 'The proposed development of the site includes an
arts centre, improved links to the canal and the Pier Quarter, and the provision of a
large water basin with visitor facilities including a café. The provision of a new hotel
in an accessible location will serve both as a vital ancillary facility to the attractions
on the site, as well as providing valuable overnight accommodation for visitors in a
location close to the town centre'

Retail: 1271sqm dispersed around several sites, planning policy stipulates nothing larger than a cafe may be permitted unless it is required, the site has been judged to have that requirement however no large retail units are proposed and a max retail unit size of 500sqm will be imposed.

Transport: Original access road will be Swan Meadow Road however concerns have been raised about congestion even post Saddle Road Junction improvements, the developer has therefore proposed a link road be constructed allowing a boulevard to run through the scheme and through the former Bus Depot site owned by the Council to Saddle Junction at a location of the Councils choosing, the original access will then be blocked to prevent U-turns. The Council is reccomending that no more than 20% of the site can be developed until such road is in place.



The Developers travel plan includes 177 cycle parking spaces, subsidised public transport for employees, car sharing or pooling scheme, active car park management.

Will be interesting to see some new images of this scheme when they start to appear..

Was just posting to say that I noticed yesterday on the way home from work that the Riverway facing end atrium of the pool redevelopment is now fully glazed. No point taking pictures yet because it is still under the shroud of scaffolding but I'm hoping it won't be long before they unwrap it to show it off. It really is exciting to have such a development slowly appear in a town like Wigan, it truly will be a breath of fresh air :D

Homes alongside East Lancs Road?
http://www.leighjournal.co.uk/news/8447033.Blueprint_for_the_future/

Hopefully this will mean renewed consideration of Kenyon Junction, considering it already meets the criteria that GMPTE claimed it would need.

Probably not though, I'm sure some lampposts need replacing in wythenshaw.

Its apparantly concluded their would be little demand for office parks at the M6 junctions as well which was previously in the strategy. Instead the focus will be on an east-west axis running through the centre of the borough and around Wigan town centre.

The Bickershaw South Project, which is well under way, will see Plank Lane closed for two weeks whilst they construct the canal marina and re-align the road!

The road work is done.

The size of the site is incredible, on google maps it looks as big as the whole of Atherton.

Its kind of exciting to have such a (relatively) big development on your doorstep.
Although it shows how starved we are of redevelopment/money that I was pleased by a classy new bus stop. (which currently serves no-one, very strange eerie vibe there at the moment)

After reading a local forum it appears whoever did the research on this plan did their homework well - I was a bit surprised about the marina aspect of the development but apparently there are 10 year waiting lists for the others in Leigh. How true that is I don't know, second hand knowledge.

---

Also, drove into wigan in daylight for the first time in ages the other day - the paint-job/recladding on scholes village looks brilliant. How old are the towers?
Drove past trencherfield (sp?) mill too, what a building. The new apartments near it are okay but the domino's is strange.
The neglect/derelicted buildings on wallgate just before Robin Park roundabout is bit sad to see though. Good site for potential canalside development?

One 1961 (11 storey, the wide one), five 1964 (13 storey) and one 1968 (13 storey). Its at least the second series of recladding theyve done on them in my lifetime.

Yeah the Dominos is strange, I guess when they built the flats they decided they needed a food outlet for them to use within walking distance, I doubt it gets much passing trade but its the first Dominoes in the area so probably makes its money on deliveries (and its well positioned for the road network). Dont know which roundabout your refering to as Robin Park as its about 2 miles from Wallgate but the Wallgate buildings are really rundown yes. The sites keep having towers planning apps but then falling through either through failure of funding or because the Council doesnt think they are good enough quality for the heritage area.

Thanks for that Watcher, I suspected 60's.
They used to look quite grotty but now - having seen them in daylight - they look very nice. They always had an impact on the skyline but now they look bright and almost cheerful if that isn't pushing it.

The roundabout I mean isn't a proper roundabout, its that hellish mess of junctions and roads near the Asda hypermarket. I only call it a roundabout because it has an island in the middle.
The specific area I mean is where Pottery Road feeds into Wallgate. The Seven stars pub is a rotting dump and the squat little building next to it is boarded up.
The seven stars road bit in particular could have potential as its canalside - the only problem is the railway line.
But the location has potential to me, within a short walking distance of the asda, cinema, robin park, and in the other direction the town centre isn't too far.

Thats Saddle Junction, probably Wigans busiest junction, effectivley a large A road roundabout with multiple exits several arterial roads come together to just two lanes of traffic under the rail viaduct. Their building a new relief road off it towards Frog Lane as its a major congestion point with all the lanes suddenly narrowing to get under the viaduct. Their also adding a new one way road underneath the viaduct and making the existing one one way.

http://www.wigan.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/006B0AEB-92BF-4F9A-B10E-E5A55B5869D7/0/SaddleWIRR.pdf

A river, canal and three railway viaducts make it a nightmare to traffic planners.

Crane has gone from the pool site, I imagine the other at the library site won't be long off going too. Sad to see them go as they've been a very prominant addition to the skyline :(

Yeah the one at pool site went two or 3 weeks ago, the one at the other site I imagine will be there until steelworks finished which may be a bit longer.

Premier Inn have said their targetting a Wigan Town Centre hotel location but havent chosen a site yet. Owners Whitbread refused to be drawn on whether they were considering the former police station or Trencherfield Mill sites.

Eckersley Mill recieved planning approval with 48!! planning conditions attached.

Archdiocese of Liverpool has submitted app for 13 two story houses including a new vicarage in a new cul-de-sac on the former St Johns Vicarage, Lee Lane, Abram.

App to knock down Morgans Nightclub (Formally British Legion), 114 High Street, Atherton and build a dozen homes on the site.

App from O2/Vodafone to knock down existing 15m 6 dish tellecommunications tower Greenbank Estate, Hindley Green and replace it with a new tower of same height and same number of dishs though with a 1.6m rather than 0.8m dishs.

Earlybird catching the worm there hey, Watcherzero? lol..

Some photies taken earlier today:

Library

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/DSC_0575.jpg?t=1289060139

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/Stitched_001.jpg?t=1289059820


Pool

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/DSC_0582.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/DSC_0584.jpg

Wallgate pedestrianization has won the Heritage Lottery Grant it required.

And in other news the council is abandoning the usual christmas lights strung from building to building in Wigan, Ashton and Leigh TC and instead using solely tram pole mounted ones 'for improved safety' (Cost saving to you and me).

ManCon's Gordo in 'Come Dine with Me', right now.

I think (judging by the live streaming webcam on the Library site) that the crane will be dismantled today, can see a mobile crane moving parts about - hard to tell if any parts have been taken off the crane itself. Be very sad to have no cranes on the skyline anymore :(

Ive still got the almost daily piling from the Douglas Valley dam construction, I may not see a crane but I hear the pounding of construction.

Cladding has appeared on the library street elevation of the pool. It is looking great, a deep earthy terracotta tile, looks the biz in this winter sunshine :-)

http://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=2427

This is really interesting, skip down past a dozen document cover pages to find a well illustrated and colourful new Wigan Town Centre street scene design bible. Specifies how they will change the urban environment of the town centre for example pedestrianise certain roads, it specifies design ethos and guidelines, and if you get to the appendix gives examples of good and bad design and specifies the materials and paving/signs/lighting/street furniture to be used.

Essentially the new strategy is rip out all the Victoriana ornate metalwork benchs, heritage moulded plastic bins, black heavy columns, grilles around trees, 'Manchester Bollards', street lighting and replace them with minimalist functionally simple contemporary designs of wooden panelling, unpainted metalwork, bench lined trees, etc.. similar to look of The Rock and in more modern parts of the Manchester city centre.

You can also play a game of guessing where the illustrative photos of good design are of, I recognised several locations in Bolton and Manchester.

A before [2007] and after [2010] comparison of the JV development, from an aerial perspective, courtesy of Webb Avaition :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/db35418.jpg?t=1293919807
2007


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/ferge%20album%201/Wigan-eb34845.jpg?t=1293919807
2010

You can see the terracotta cladding from this view. Personally I think this has been an excellent development for the town and really looks the business. It is a mammoth building and yet nestles in nicely next to the town hall, really brings some continuity to the massing of the town centre. We JUST need the proposed tower (or a redesign) to hide the GA carpark now :|

According to the paper today Goldcrest is close to selling most of the former police HQ site it acquired 6 years ago for £1.7m to a developer who plans a development that 'should easily recieve planning permission'. Goldcrest planned a hotel and flats for the site but blamed slow planning approvals process for having to abandon the plans when the recession hit.

My intuition says either a car park or a large retail outlet. The sites almost exactly half the size of the Tesco Extra so couldnt really accomadate a full size supermarket.

Just found (although it is also the first time I've looked :|) the application for the DW Hotel.

Planning Application : A/10/74789

I'm not familiar with the existing building, but there seems to be little if any alteration to the appearance of the building, just an extension to the side. Having said that, maybe (or more, hopefully) something more substantial will happen after reading this on Wigantoday.net

Whelan bid to enlarge hotel planSponsored by
Published on Tue Jan 18 09:48:18 GMT 2011


DAVE Whelan’s ambitions to build a hotel next to the DW Stadium are growing.


Not content with planning permission for a 64-room budget facility - granted without objection last month - the sports magnate has decided that it would be better if it were bigger.

So he is now intending to submit an amendment to Wigan Council proposing that the hotel have 100 rooms instead.

The hotel, created partly by converting the fomer Fitness First gym on Stadium Way, is one of several ambitious building projects that Latics chairman Mr Whelan hopes to see come to fruition in the coming months.

After the setback of the North West Development Agency’s axing, his dream of creating a Wigan Boys and Girls’ Club on the Mesnes playing fields has been put back a few months.

However, he is still hopeful that Prime Minister David Cameron, with whom he dined recently, can as promised help secure a multi-million-pound European grant to compensate for the NWDA one that fell through.

But with Mr Whelan and fellow tycoons Bill and Martin Ainscough also pledging millions to the scheme, he said he was hoping work was still going to begin on the centre, which has planning permission, in April or May.

Backed by Mr Whelan, Martin Ainscough also hopes that once the council planning department on New Market Street is vacated when staff move to the new Life Centre, it may be turned into a new engineering academy.

As far as the hotel scheme is concerned, however, there have been few obstacles.

The 64-room building did not even have to go to the council’s planning committee because, as an authority spokesman explained, there were few if any objections and no councillor called it in for debate.

But Mr Whelan is already having second thoughts. He said: “We are now thinking of pushing the number of rooms up to 100.

“That way you have the same overheads but it makes it a potentially more profitable venture. There certainly wouldn’t be any issues with car parking round there because there is plenty.

“Wigan is very short on hotels so this would be just the ticket.”

Mr Whelan has previously stated that such a facility would be particularly desirable for those stopping over in Wigan for sporting or conference events, not least at the stadium.



To give perspective, the Premier Inn by the Landgate roundabout (with the Taybarns) is a 40 bed hotel, so I would imagine given the size of the site that they'd have to go upwards to fit in 100 rooms. Also interesting to think they want to make use of the soon to be empty Civic Buildings.

Just an update on the Leigh town centre development:

2 cranes!
The area is cleared and the frame for Tescos is already up
Even working on a saturday to get it done.

Had a wonder as close as I could get to the dam (bit hard with all the pedestrian routes around it closed), they seem to have finished the dam wall and are starting on the underground overflow containment tanks.

The new owner of the Grand Arcade are also reportedly interested in restarting phase 2, the conversion of the former Pennington Furniture store and construction of a ajoining retail/12 flat residential block as a cafe/restaurant zone for Millgate. Theyve reportedly been talking to possible tenants though say they wont be bound to a particular use.

Also sadly elsewhere the new owners of the Grand Arcade Tower site are reportedly about to submit a planning application in the next 6 months which wont be for a residential tower. They say they have had interest and are looking at options but a residential/hotel tower wouldnt work in the current economic climate.

I read this late last night also, had a feeling you would post about it first, haha. Good to see the Pennington proposal resurface although I question the previous design (presuming a redesign is in the pipeline). I would hope they could squeeze in a good 5 or 6 floors for the new build, being it sitting on an elevated plot, it'd be good to gain a strong presence of it from passing on the Riverway.

Regarding the tower site, again I would hope the council push for something substantial for such a prime site and not allow a retail unit or something similar. Even if they could manage 8-10 storeys to achieve a landmark within the new development area. Highly doubt such things will be achieved though.

On the other hand an anchor development could turn Millgate into a shopping street contributing valuably to the town centre, more than just the street the library, childrens library and baths is on at present.

The owners of the former Town Hall site have won permission for a temporary carpark with 118 spaces, however they asked for 5 years but only recieved two year permission.

Theres apparantly going to be a 3 day public display of what the Wigan Central Area could look like in 15 years time and the main issues starting March 31st followed by a 12 week soft consultation, (this would be the culmination of two previous consultations on the Town centre over the last 3 years and wider GM study into towncentre developments) the development plan will then be written with a formal public consultation in the Autumn. Im excited to see what theyve come up with as from the writeup in the paper it looks like theyve implemented several of my suggestions.

From the writeup the direction they seem to be going in is building on it as a entertainment destination with a Cinema or Theatre anchor and the refurbishment, partial remoddeling or complete rebuilding of the Galleries/Marketgate and public realm enchancements including possibly knocking more holes in the viaduct to make getting to the Pier Quarter easier and more pleasent.

I'm going to go and see what they're offering, I think it could do with all the supporters it can get with the crowd we have around here. Only today they started the works to Wallgate as the first phase to redoing the streetscape of the town centre and people are complaining that they should be creating additional parking. However, proposals for 111 parking spaces at the old town hall site have caused uproar as people say 'we don't need more parking in Wigan'.

Utter lunacy and it drives me up the wall! Everything that has ever been suggested, proposed or approved for Wigan is met with almost Universal hostility from the few (same as all the country, I know), yet we've potentially lost so much investment in interest because these people get their way every time! Thankfully we have the Grand Arcade and Wigan Life centre as two fingers up at them because thankfully Wigan is progressing and it is more than evident walking around the town centre - what was a backwards looking town is now a multi-cultural, diverse urban place to live, work and play and this will hopefully be celebrated and built on within this consultation.

I wouldnt get hopes up for anything firm or much illustration (beyond the Wallgate scheme), at this stage its still a theoretical plan. Starts Thursdays in the Grand Arcade I believe, will probably pop in Thursday lunchtime as I will be in town at that time anyway.

Few notes from Wigan Councils Cabinet:

Drumcroon Art Gallery Closure
Would cost £97,000 to bring the building up to standard and the running costs are £330k a year the bulk of which used to come from schools budgets but has been axed by the government, theres a public art gallery in Leigh so the Council thought it could close it and maintain arts provision in the Borough.

A petition with 7,400 signatures to keep Drumcroon open has been recieved, as its over 5,000 signatures the petition automatically has to be considered by the full Council so the decision to close it must be reviewed.

Mesnes Terrace Multistory Car Park
Currently a 325 space car park used for Council staff in Wigan Town Centre, the NHS has requested the Council enter negotiations to sell it to them as a NHS staff park and ride. The Council is minded to accept the request to enter negotiations.

This is interesting as the NHS had sent letters to a number of houses next to their existing staff car park on Wigan Lane a couple of months ago requesting voluntary purchase leading people to belive they wanted to convert it into a multi storey and demolish the properties to provide a new car park entrance. Either the response they got was negative and they decided to proceed with a plan B or they wanted to use the site for something other than a car park in the future.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/ferge1985/DSC_0905.jpg?t=1302204919

A quick piccy on way passed today..

I noticed the other day as I was walking up Millgate (with bags of shopping, so no picture opportunities!) that the hoardings around the old Pennington's building had changed. I'm not sure when it happened, it may have been years ago for all I know. But they've now put up large front and rear renderings of the proposed redevelopment. I shall see if I can find any information online as to whether this means work may be starting anytime soon.

Hoardings around the Life Centre southern site started coming down this week, their working on the pavement around the building and access ramps now.

Two massive (significantly bigger than a transit fan) solid steel pieces delivered to the dam today, they appeared like water intake/turbine housings but since the dam wont generate electricity I imagine they must be being used as sluice gates and water pressure regulators.

Large grilled intake on one side (just smaller than the size of a single track rail tunnel portal) then narrowing and twisting sharply to a smaller exit about the width of a Mini with a vertical access hatch with a manhole sized sliding slatted cover.

Much road chaos as while lining up to make the turn into the access road only narrow cars could squueze past in the second road lane so buses and trucks backed up for miles.

I noticed on Saturday that the Old Police station in the city centre has had it's regeneration sign taken down that covered the top floors of the Riverway facing elevation. Obviously the scheme bit the dust several years ago, so perhaps that explains why the banner has gone, unless someone is going to demolish the station in a bid to make this area of town look a little less of a ghost town.

It was getting pretty sunworn but I have noticed a couple of orange coats around the building, its possible they are prepping it for demolition since there was talk of a large retail unit and carpark being built there recently.

The Independent examiner is reccomending against the application for Mesnes Park Playing Fields to be designated as a village green (site of the controversial proposed The Wigan Boys and Girls Club)on the grounds that theres not an existing neighbourhood community around it.

The Wigan Boys and Girls Club is the brainchild of Wigan businessman Dave Whelan, who has with Martin and Bill Ainscough, donated over half the development costs. The scheme is OnSide's first youth centre to be largely-funded by private sector money and will occupy a striking new purpose-built accommodation at Mesnes Field in Wigan town centre.

This world class youth centre will feature recreational facilities, sport, music and art studios, a climbing wall, all-weather pitches and provide improved green public spaces on the Mesnes Playing Fields.

The Youth Zone will offer a huge range of positive activities for young people together with access to targeted advice, guidance and support.

With the backing of Wigan Council and the local business community, the Youth Zone will provide a great opportunbity for cross-sector partnership to raise the aspirations of the young people of Wigan.

Target Opening - April 2012

http://www.onsidenorthwest.org/sites/onsidenorthwest.org/files/imagecache/project/inline/wigan.jpg

Goldcrest are appealing Wigan Councils Planning dept allowance of previously granted planning approval for two towers and retail at the former Police Station site to lapse because of three years of inactivity where the company failed to respond to a request for revised car parking plans and concerns over the lack of social housing places, the companies claiming it did submit a planning approval extension application within the three year deadline. Their using the new government legislation which makes it easier to extend planning approval granted before the recession.

The companies refusing to honour the previous planning obligations of clean air measures, pedestrian access to town centre, social housing and public realm including art. Council valuer agrees that their right and they couldnt afford those contributions in the current market but believes their trying to pull a fast one and will just sit on the extended approval until the markets recovered. The Council wants a commitment that planning obligations will be carried out if the market improves before construction is completed or only granting a one year extension while the company wants a two year extension with no commitments.

http://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=3684

Goes to indpendent appeals process with decision expected in August.

Consultation has begun on a application for a new Sainsburys creating 425 jobs in Golborne.
60,000 sq. ft of retail space including a mezzanine cafe, 480 car parking spaces and a landscaped park with water feature (pictured)
http://www.wigantoday.net/webimage/sainsbury_s_golborne_1_1_3620915!image/2652464374.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_595/2652464374.jpg

http://www.wigantoday.net/news/business/jobs/jobs_in_store_1_3620916

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6081/6116845064_3dc94bf8fe_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6204/6116302911_b601dc1931_b.jpg

Courtesy of 'Mister Oy'

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6074/6121022376_01041c5ddf_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6076/6121011394_10bba6bb65_b.jpg

Courtesy of 'TheDaveWalker'

Wow, just amazing to think we got something like this in Wigan.. hope it'll bring this side of the town to life (and you never know, encourage some future phases to restart).

Two things, planning app for one of those advertising boards has gone in for the side of the building opposite the Job Centre. Secondly landslide along the river Douglas!

http://www.wigantoday.net/webimage/wwig_footway_closed_nea_3_1_3776508!image/2450780833.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_595/2450780833.jpg

First peek inside Life Centre
Published on Friday 16 September 2011 11:39

http://www.wigantoday.net/webimage/life_centre_tour_14_1_3779706!image/4182541853.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_595/4182541853.jpg

WIGAN’S new multi-million pound Life Centre opens this weekend and the Wigan Evening Post were invited to take a sneak preview at the eagerly anticipated project.

It has taken two-and-half years to build and cost £217 million and next weekend there are free taster sessions after it officially opens on Monday.

The flagship centre on the South site is built around a state of the art Healthy Living Zone, but also includes office space and recreational areas. The centre will house some 650 staff, including PCT and council staff. Wigan Metro say it will help in their commitment to reducing the number of offices from 35 buildings to just five as part of savings they have set out in response to cuts in public funding.

A national standard 25 by 21 metre swimming pool features a 250 seater viewing gallery which will host its first gala featuring the region’s best national swimmers in October.

Even more impressive is the retractable floor which means the pool can be split between zero and two metre depths depending on what classes or sessions it is being used for. This also helps insulate the pool when it is not in use.

The gym, which has memberships starting at £19 a month, features the latest technology including machines which allow you to watch TV, log onto Facebook and listen to your ipod while you workout. It also works at Robin Park gym and WLCT hope to run out the technology across the borough in the near future.

WLCT’s Area Manager for the Life Centre, Albino Ferro, said: “Now people who want to watch Coronation Street can do it at the gym so there is no excuse not to get fit.

“We have already had hundreds of enquiries and we are very much looking forward to the opening next week. It is great to see it looking so good and hopefully the people of Wigan will love it.”

There are also saunas and steam rooms and a learner swimming pool as well as specialist facilities for those with disabilities or special needs.

Chief executive of WLCT Stuart Murray said: “This is an exciting addition to Wigan’s leisure offer. The facilities are first class and something the residents of Wigan should be justly proud of.

“This is a flagship site for us that will play a key role in encouraging more people in the borough to get active.

“It is really pleasing to see it up and running as it has been a decade since it was first muted and it has turned out even better than we had hoped.”

When the North site opens in the New Year the £217m Wigan Life Centre will include a one-stop shop for public services, an Information Zone, including a new public library and a Neighbourhood Zone marking the completion of a project that has been more than a decade in the making. Wigan Council’s Cabinet member for Leisure and Culture, Coun Chris Ready said: “This vision of unifying access to public services started 10 years ago.

“When this complex is complete this one-stop shop will modernize the way we deliver public services and set the borough apart from other areas.

“It will ensure quick and easy access to services that people need and want. It will be something Wigan is proud of and something to treasure.”

Gym members will be able to access the new facilities on Monday, September 19 with a special weekend of activities planned for Saturday and Sunday, September 24 and 25.

Activities during the weekend of free sessions include – Thump Boxing, Body Pump, Indoor Cycling and Family Swimming.

http://www.wigantoday.net/webimage/life_centre_main_pool_2_1_3779744!image/382848142.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_215/382848142.jpg

For more information on the Wigan Life Centre visit www.wigan.gov.uk.

For information about the open weekend and the new pool and fitness centre visit www.wlct.org/activelife or call 01942 489 611.

http://www.wigantoday.net/news/first_peek_inside_life_centre_1_3779746

First ive heard of the retractable pool floor, sounds pretty cool.

Looks a fantastic facility but wow that is expensive! Wigan could've probably got on the metrolink for £200+ million.

Outline planning app has gone in for 98 homes on the site of the former Orica factory off Vicarage Lane/Gathurst lane Shevington. Officers reccomendation is to approve.

Had a walk around this the other week when I was in town, I think it really is fantastic for our borough (even though Wigan MBC are possibly closing my local pool down).

It's the christmas light switch on on the 17th for anyone who is interested... Probably nobody but thought it worth a mention ;)

[QUOTE=ferge;83551463]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6081/6116845064_3dc94bf8fe_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6204/6116302911_b601dc1931_b.jpg

Courtesy of 'Mister Oy'[QUOTE]

Wow, the public realm looks great! :)

The Town Centres new dam In Douglas Valley has been completed, its official opening is the 18th.

http://www.wigantoday.net/webimage/wwig_douglas_dam_2_1_1_3956563!image/2526279947.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_595/2526279947.jpg

It will protect 1800 homes from flooding or something like that with the capability of holding back a months rainfall.

A few more shots of the dam under construction.

http://www.suaveairphotos.co.uk/general/1/MorrisonsWiganMay/images/image/IMG_7474_Copyright_Suave_Air_Photos.JPG

http://www.suaveairphotos.co.uk/general/1/MorrisonsWiganMay/images/image/IMG_7587_Copyright_Suave_Air_Photos.JPG

http://www.engineeringnaturesway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Lands-Wigan-Install-Photo272.jpg

http://www.engineeringnaturesway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Wigan-Flood-Alleviation-Scheme-resizedl.jpg

Application minded to approve for an exploratory drill to assess the viability of natural gas or methane extraction. 42B Plank Lane Leigh.

http://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/documents/s5961/Agenda%2013.12.2011.pdf

I was last in Wigan when the building of the Wigan Life Centre had just started, looks good now that it is completed. The public realm provides a great setting for the older buildings.

I can't believe how different the Douggy valley looks either... the work over the footbridge there was my route home from work back in 2007 / 8.

Papers reporting a church group has put in a planning app on the former bus depot site for a 1000 seat church/commercial performance venue.

And a planning app for the conversion of the former Police HQ to a 62 bedroom hotel and recladding of the exterior.
Owner Goldcrest, architects Falconer Chester Hall. Blueprints show a Travelodge sign on roof but may just be illustrative.
http://kinnear.wigan.gov.uk/planapps/PlanAppsDetails.asp?passAppNo=A/11/76353


Looks like theyve kept the original bullet proof narrow vertical slit windows which wont make for great hotel room windows.

I was waiting for this Old Police station redevelopment to surface on the Wigan Today site. Every inkling that a development is on the cards in Wigan, the same old folk complain about not wanting this, not wanting that. One of the cards they play is 'Why not do something with the Old Town Hall? Why not do something with the Old Police Station'.


...You then get a proposal to use one of these sites, and people start complaining! 'We don't need a hotel'. They're a hoot, that lot. :|

Thanks for that, confirms who the new owner will be.


The Evening Post can today confirm that Bristol-based Sanguine Hospitality – which operates celebrity chef Marco Pierre White’s francised hotel-restaurants


Seems odd to have a boutique/business hotel after the next door hotel has also gone upmarket but that was traditionally a business hotel too. Perhaps later phases may include hireable rooms as the first phase doesnt.

In other news the Pier Nightclub is closing down and Argos in Ashton is closing because their lease is up and they cant find alternative suitable premises, companys released a statement saying they will try and accomadate the 10 staff elsewhere and have another six stores within 5 miles.

Decision on the application for the test drilling has been deffered till the new year, residents concerned about noise/vibration have split the councillors.

I noticed yesterday that the site for the youth academy is now surrounded by hoarding, so I'm presuming this has finally got the green light to start.

Theres a FOURTH village green application in process but theyve decided to proceed with it in the meantime anyway, rather than delaying again after the appeal to Government after the third was ruled in their favour.

http://www.wigantoday.net/webimage/1.4113016.1325681792!image/1155337659.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_595/1155337659.jpg

Reportedly a scheme in development to turn the Brentwood manorhouse (next door to the Cherry Gardens) into offices and build a four story extension. The property has been vacant for 20 years since locals objected to plans for a mental health clinic and in the intervening years there have been many 'mysterious' fires that have left it a burnt out shell, structurally compromised that many people suspect were started by the lands various owners hoping to clear the site, while its not individually listed as its in a conservation area and historically significant it would be next to impossible to get permission to demolish it but the large grounds close to the city centre and in a nice neighbourhood would be very valuable for housing or office development.

The Life Centre Northern Building has now opened

Open Life – Wigan’s New Public Services ‘hub’ is open for business


Wigan Borough’s new multi-million pound public services ‘hub’ – the Wigan Life Centre, is officially open for business.

And early reports from opening day today (Monday January 9) suggest that business is good!

Situated between Hewlett Street and The Wiend in the heart of Wigan Town Centre, the 6500 sq ft building is the culmination of the council’s £217M Life Centre project.

Called the Information, Learning and Neighbourhood Zone, it offers residents of the borough a new ‘gateway’ to all public services in the borough through a state-of-the-art customer contact centre.

The centre also boasts a new public library, including children’s and reference sections along with community space and offices for various voluntary sector organisations.

The Life Centre officially opened its doors to the public from 9am and staff with the council’s Citizens’ Support Service reported a positive start to proceedings.

First to be served was Wigan resident Alais Jardo, who was welcomed by Customer Services Officer Janet Hayes and visited the Citizens’ Advice Bureau (pictured). Mr Jardo said: “I was made to feel very welcome and got the help I needed straight away. I am delighted with the new building and the services it offers.”

Citizens’ Support Service Manager Anthony Mohammed says: “We have seen quite a few members of the public already this morning and I think it is fair the say that the majority have been very impressed.

“We have been able to cross-refer quite a few people to different services for information and advice. So, for example, people turning up for benefits’ advice have also been referred for information about housing and someone turning up for advice on planning matters has also been able to find out extra information as well.”

By working in this way, the council and its partners aim to answer 80 per cent of customer queries through the first visit.

The work of the council in delivering high quality customer care was recognised nationally as the Life Centre opened. GovMetric, the UK-wide customer services group who work with local authorities and national government, awarded Wigan with a national prize for its customer care team – number two in the country against wide ranging national competition. Cllr Chris Ready, cabinet champion for customer services, presented the Life Centre team with the trophy. He said: “This is an excellent first day and demonstration nationally of the great work done here in Wigan.”

At the same time, Chief Executive Joyce Redfearn led a team of senior regional leaders from the North West Improvement and Efficiency Forum on a tour of the building.

There has also been a steady stream of visitors to the new look Wigan Library situated on the ground floor of the new building.

Cllr Ready adds: “”The Life Centre represents a massive investment for our borough and also a massive investment in our residents. We want to break down any barriers that exist between the public and service-providers to enable us to create a confident place and confident people.

“We are providing modern information and learning facilities together with a streamlined and joined-up approach to customer services that we believe will improve residents’ satisfaction with council and other public services.

“At a time of economic uncertainty it is great to see a major building project such as this, which has created jobs and will support the future regeneration of our borough, come to fruition. I would urge any resident of the borough who wants to find out more to visit the Life Centre and see this great new facility at first-hand.”

http://www.wigan.gov.uk/News/OpenLife.htm