Following the exciting news yesterday that Wigan Galleries has received planning approval here are a few words from our Manchester Director Andrew Irving & project lead Mark Whittaker.

“We are proud and ecstatic to announce the planning approval of the hybrid application for the £130m transformation of the Wigan Galleries shopping complex. In collaboration with Cityheart and BCEGI plans will see the retail hub completely re-imagined with design proposals including leisure and entertainment facilities, a hotel, hundreds of new homes, a new market hall and a large public square for outdoor events. In doing so providing Wigan town centre with new purpose-built destination and attractive options for living, working, and visiting to ensure it has a sustainable long-term future.

The masterplan totally transforms The Galleries with a reduction in retail space and a focus on leisure, with a multimedia centre including cinema screens, a music and E-sport venue, a 10-lane bowling alley and food and beverage outlets all being proposed. The scheme also includes an evening entertainment space, a 144-bed hotel, 483 residential units, a new market hall including a contemporary food hall, a co-working space, and indoor market, landscaped public areas for annual outdoor events and a basement car park.”

Works on RIBA Stage 3 have commenced in earnest with the design team including WSP Structures, DEP Landscape Architecture, Ridge Engineering, Mosodi, Integrated Health & Safety, Hann Tucker Associates, MM Management and Zerum Planning.