Phase one of £300m Wigan regeneration scheme given the go-ahead

Phase one of the £300m North Leigh Park regeneration scheme in Wigan has been greenlit, paving the way for the construction of dozens of new homes.

Wigan Council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead for 162 new homes off Nel Pan Lane, along with a new access point, green space and wildlife corridors.

In the long term the scheme, which represents a public and private sector partnership between the council and North Leigh Park Group Limited (NLPGL), includes proposals for 1,800 homes to form part of the authority’s future housing supply.

Additionally, the North Leigh Park regeneration project will deliver almost 550,000 sq ft of employment space, around 19 acres of green infrastructure and a community centre.

The approval of detailed plans for phase one follows the granting of outline planning consent in February 2013.

The Director for Economy and Environment at Wigan Council, Karl Battersby, said: “It is great news that the planning committee has given the go-ahead for the first phase of the North Leigh Park scheme.

“North Leigh Park is of strategic importance to Wigan Borough in delivering the quantity and quality of housing that our residents will desperately need in the coming years.”

He continued: “The major investment into the area will significantly boost Wigan Borough’s economy and deliver a huge number of jobs not only in the construction of the scheme but also in the employment sites that are part of the scheme.”

NLPGL spokesman Paul Jarvis said the organisation is “delighted” that plans for phase one has been given the go-ahead, adding that the approval marks a “significant milestone” in kick-starting the delivery of the wider North Leigh regeneration scheme.

He added: “North Leigh Park Group is now progressing plans for the remediation of the site to provide a safer, cleaner, more sustainable environment for wildlife and local communities for the benefit of current and future generations.”