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.
“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
News
Police appeal launched as woman dies after being hit by lorry in Bury
Daisy Jackson
A woman has tragically died after being hit by a lorry in Bury yesterday afternoon.
At around 3.45pm on Tuesday 6 October, emergency services were called to a road traffic collision in Radcliffe.
The collision was between a pedestrian and a lorry on Church Street West.
Tragically, the pedestrian – a woman in her 50s – passed away at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services.
A large cordon was in place yesterday and road has remained closed this morning.
Officers from GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit are now appealing for information.
They said: “At around 3.45pm yesterday (Tuesday 6 October 2026) we were called to reports of a road traffic collision between a pedestrian and a lorry on Church Street West, Radcliffe.
“Emergency services attended but sadly the pedestrian, a woman in her 50s, passed away at the scene.
“No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.
“Anyone with information including CCTV, Ring doorbell or dashcam footage is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 2299 of 06.10.26. Reports can also be made via our website of the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk.
“Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
New measures announced to tackle ‘rogue’ landlords across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A cohort of trained enforcement officers are set to hit the streets in all 10 boroughs to help improve the lives of the region’s renters.
Forming part of Greater Manchester‘s commitment to the highest-quality housing standards alongside the Good Landlord Charter, the newly trained enforcement officers will be tasked with protecting tenants, joining Council teams in checking rental properties, bringing enforcement action against bad landlords, and cracking down on illegal practices.
The introduction of the new enforcement officers comes after what has been ‘years of sustained pressure’ on local budgets.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) says it is working with the 10 councils across the region to strengthen local teams, rebuild in-house skills and expertise, and ensure that powers can be applied with consistency in all boroughs.
As mentioned, this all forms part of the Good Landlord Charter – which is GMCA’s ‘bold approach’ to drive up standards for renters across the region.
Landlords of more than half of rented properties in Greater Manchester have now signed up as supporters of the Charter, and as supporters, they have committed to going above and beyond legal minimums to improve the renting experience for hundreds of thousands of people.
“A safe place to call home is the cornerstone of a happy, healthy life,” explained Mayor Bev Craig. “But for years, people have felt trapped in poor-quality housing, and cash-strapped councils were unable to step in to help. I’m putting an end to that.
“We know there are plenty of good landlords in Greater Manchester, and many of them have already signed up to our Good Landlord Charter, but too many are just not good enough.
“That’s why we’re deploying a new generation of expert housing officers onto the streets of our towns and cities.”
Mayor Bev Craig declared that she ‘won’t stand by and let rogue landlords take advantage of people’.
She continued: “By empowering renters, working with responsible landlords, and using our powers to crack down on the bad ones, I will make sure everyone in Greater Manchester has the foundation for a good life.”
Emily Sergeant -
13th July 2023 
