A £135 million regeneration masterplan to transform Wigan town centre has been approved by the Council’s planning committee.
As part of what is the wider re-development project for the former Galleries shopping centre – which is just off Market Street in Wigan town centre – the planning committee at Wigan Council has this week also approved developers’ ambitious plans for a 84,000 sq ft Multi Media Centre (MMC) and leisure facility to help further transform the site.
The newly-approved revamp will include a brand-new six screen, 700-seat cinema, a multi-lane bowling alley, indoor mini golf, and a climbing wall, alongside a “wide range” of other indoor leisure activities, as well as a public events space, and a games arcade.
CGIs from the the wider Galleries redevelopment / Credit: Cityheart
Several new bar and restaurant establishments also form part of the plans, with the hopes of making Wigan “a night out destination”, according to local Councillor Laura Flynn.
Developers Cityheart have hailed the Council‘s approval of the plans as the chance to turn Wigan into a “thriving mixed-use town centre neighbourhood” where residents and visitors can “spend time relaxing with family and friends”.
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CGIs from the the wider Galleries redevelopment / Credit: Cityheart
Alongside the newly-approved MMC is, of course, the multi-phase investment and development programme of the wider Galleries site – which is, according to Wigan Council, is aiming to deliver one of the UK’s “most innovative low carbon regeneration projects” and “transform” the town centre in several ways.
The development will comprise of almost 500 homes across seven new residential buildings, a 144-bedroom hotel, a new market hall and food court, as well as new landscaped areas of public space – including a square for events and performances.
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CGIs from the the wider Galleries redevelopment / Credit: Cityheart
“The MMC will help boost the local economy by drawing people into the town centre from across the region and will attract people of all ages who want to live in the town centre,” Warren Taylor, Development Director at Cityheart, commented on the approval of the masterplan.
“Providing great leisure facilities will in turn help us secure the best operators and food and drink brands and we look forward to starting to announce some of those additional tenants later this year.
Fantastic news yesterday afternoon as detailed plans for a new multi-function cinema and leisure centre located in the Galleries re-development site in Wigan town centre were approved by Wigan Council’s planning committee.
“Alongside the new market hall and food courts, people will be able to spend their leisure time at the MMC watching the latest films and enjoying bowling, climbing, gaming and eating and drinking in a range of new bars and restaurants.
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“We’re excited to achieve the next stage of delivering this transformational scheme for Wigan.”
The Galleries redevelopment scheme is set to create around 660 full-time jobs once it’s finally completed.
No timeframes or project completion date has been set out so far.
Featured Image – Cityheart / Wigan Council
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Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Rare bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s time to say a big hello, as rare bat-eared foxes have now arrived at Chester Zoo.
The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, and they are the first mammals of their kind to come to Chester Zoo in more than 30 years.
First images show the pair exploring their home in the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat – which officially opened to the public back in March, and is the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size.
The adorable – but rather unique-looking – bat-eared fox is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is native to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
They live for around 13 years on average, and their characteristically large ears help regulate their body temperature and enhance their incredible hearing, allowing them to prey like detect insects moving underground.
The species faces increasing threats in the wild, largely due to the loss of their habitat caused by agriculture, human encroachment, and hunting.
This is why Chester Zoo has long been at the forefront of protecting African wildlife.
Its teams’ have been supporting everything from the safe translocation of northern giraffes to protected national parks in Uganda, to developing cutting-edge AI trail cameras to protect giant pangolins from illegal trafficking in recent years.
Bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in 30 years / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome bat-eared foxes back to Chester Zoo after a 30-year hiatus,” commented David White, who is the Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Both Maasai and Malindi are settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of twelve Cape porcupines. These two species would often come across one another in the wild, so we’ve recreated this right here at Chester.
“In time, we hope to introduce one of the two sisters to a male fox, with the hope that we can contribute to the European conservation breeding programme, helping to ensure there’s a healthy, genetically diverse back-up population in human care.
Emily Sergeant -
13th July 2023 
