Your boroughHelp shape the future of Wigan YourYourYour viewsviewsviews vitalvitalvital tototo plansplansplans WE are bringing forward plans that we think will help transform Wigan By Wigan Council’s Director Borough for the better. of Environmental Services We want to create the right conditions for jobs. Martin Kimber We want everybody to have a home With your help our plans have that meets their needs at a price that is moved on and we have now affordable. produced our ‘Preferred Options’. We want safer, stronger and more Clearly, since our Issues and attractive communities with good local Options stage the economy has services and facilities. We want to experienced a sharp downturn and we improve our town centres. We want are now in recession. better opportunities for recreation. This will slow us down but we are And we want to improve the looking forward to 2026 and beyond. countryside between our towns. And we want to ensure that Wigan These plans are set out in our Core Borough is well placed to take advantage What is the Core Strategy? Strategy Preferred Options (see box) and of the recovery when it comes. It will set out our strategy for future development are summarised in this pull-out Now we need your comments again supplement. in the borough – where will it go and when. once you have looked at the following We consulted on our ‘Issue and Options’ stage We have produced our Preferred pages and, hopefully, at our Preferred Options and this summary to give you a in February – April 2008. Options document – the main document This stage is our ‘Preferred Options’ for chance to have your say on these as we refer to it on other pages. consultation until 4 August. proposals before they are firmed-up as Have we identified the best way Next year we will publish our draft Core our framework for the future. forward? Will it tackle the key issues we Strategy before submitting it to the Government. Last year we consulted widely on the face? It will then be considered by an independent ‘Issues and Options’ stage and you told Your input is vital to help us firm up inspector at an ‘examination-in-public’ and he or us what you thought of our ideas. our strategy to ensure that it truly meets she will make recommendations. This will then More information on what you told us the borough’s future needs. Information become Wigan’s Core Strategy, so we need to and how we have responded is available on how to get in touch – online, email or get it right ..…..now! at libraries and on our website at by post – is on the back page. www.wigan.gov.uk/ldfcorestrategy Many thanks for your help. Your opportunity to comment on our Preferred Options page one Your borough Working together to ramework deliver improvement Our Preferred Options focus on the ‘east-west core of the borough’ including Wigan, Ince, Hindley, Platt Bridge, Atherton, Leigh and extending to Ashton- in-Makerfield and part of ocal Development F Astley. In this area we propose nearly all new employment development and about 90% of new housing to 2026. We believe we can transform the economy and the environment to improve the borough for the future and create ‘sustainable communities’. ‘Sustainable communities’ are safe and attractive places that people really want to live in. They have a range of housing, jobs and services and facilities including schools, doctors, local shops, café, pub and play space. Other larger services and facilities would be easily accessible by walking, cycling or public transport. They will help An opportunity to comment on the L reduce our contribution to climate change. Development in the east-west core area will help provide investment in much needed new and improved infrastructure, including east-west transport links, new and improved schools, ‘green infrastructure’ and better broadband. It will open up new sites to provide jobs where they are most needed. At the same time we need to help more people in the borough to get these jobs. In proposing new roads we do not intend to encourage more cars. We want public transport to be much more reliable as well as making walking and cycling much safer and more pleasant. There is more information about this in our main document, beginning page 67. Your opportunity to comment on our Preferred Options - www.wigan.gov.uk/ldfcorestrategy page two Regeneration of key areas to transform borough life We focus in particular on five areas G create more jobs, and eight sites, shown in the For more information see page 97 diagram on the left, that can of our main document. provide most of the land we need We also want to promote sites at for this development: ‘Westleigh Canalside’, ‘South of WIGAN Hindley’ and ‘Northleigh’ – see next pages. Wigan town centre will continue to be Question B: Do you think we are the main centre for the west and right to focus on Leigh Central? middle of the borough. We want to: G continue the success of the Grand ASHTON Arcade, We want to improve Ashton town G improve links between the two centre for shopping and other services railway stations, and facilities. We need to reduce the G develop a ‘learning village’ around impact of traffic. the college and Deanery High For more information see page 108 School, of our main document. G provide more varied evening We want to promote sites at activities, ‘Landgate’ and ‘Stubshaw Cross’ – see G develop the ‘Eastern Gateway’ area next pages. around Chapel Lane, Question C: Do you think we are G create more jobs. right to focus on Ashton? For more information see page 78 Two other key strategic sites are of our main document. proposed, at ‘East of Atherton’ and We want to promote the ‘Wigan ‘Garrett Hall’ in Astley – see page 7. South Central’ area for regionally THE GREENHEART REGIONAL PARK significant economic development. It This covers the countryside in the ‘east- includes Westwood Park, the former west core’ but also includes Haigh Hall. Pemberton Colliery and the Pier It is our core ‘green infrastructure’. Quarter. We need the A49 diversion Much is poor quality and underused and other transport improvements to but many sites are important for free-up the ‘Saddle’. recreation and wildlife. If we invest in For more information see page 82 this area it will substantially improve of our main document. Wigan as a place both to live in and We also want to promote ‘The Bell’ invest. at Lamberhead Green – see page 4 For more information see page 148 over . of our main document. Question A: Do you think we are Question D: Do you think we are right to focus on Wigan town right to promote Greenheart for centre and Wigan South Central? recreation and wildlife? WHAT HAPPENS IN OTHER AREAS? There would be low levels of new development in Standish, Aspull and Shevington, Orrell and Billinge, Golborne and Lowton and the rest of Tyldesley and Astley. Question E: Do you think this is the right approach for these areas? SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE We want to support changes in education and training in Wigan LEIGH AND HINDLEY Borough and help inspire more children Leigh town centre will continue to be and adults to learn, gain skills to help the main centre in the east of the them get the new jobs and benefit borough. We are calling the wider area from other opportunities we are Leigh Central and we want to: creating. We want to promote sites for G continue the success of Leigh Sports new high schools in Ashton (see Village, Stubshaw Cross, page 7) and at G develop the guided busway, Almond Brook, Standish. G tackle congestion problems around For more information see page 122 Twist Lane, of our main document. G develop the Bridgewater and Question F: Do you think we are Parsonage areas right to focus on education, skills G continue the regeneration of Hindley and training? page three Your borough Benefits of the key strategic sites Northleigh Northleigh sits between Hindley Green and Westleigh. It includes substantial areas of very poor quality land. ramework It offers a great opportunity to improve our east-west transport links and remove through-traffic from Westleigh and Hindley. It would provide: G Housing on about 50% of the site, probably to the east and west. G Jobs on around 15% of the site only, evelopment F probably near Leigh Road. G Open space on the rest that would pass from north to south and include ocal D sports facilities and informal areas for people and wildlife. G he L New highway infrastructure from Atherleigh Way as a first phase to n t provide a link to ‘South of Hindley’. G Corner Lane/Smallbrook Lane would be improved for bus services, walking and cycling. Question For more information see G: Do you agree that omment o page 94 of our main these sites should be key document. strategic sites. If not, which o c sites should we propose South of Hindley instead? South of Hindley is a large area of land that is pportunity t currently underused. It gives great potential to An o improve our east-west transport infrastructure and remove through-traffic from the heart of Hindley. It would provide: G Housing on about 50% of the site probably to the west and centre. G Jobs on around 25% of the site probably to the east close to the existing infrastructure for east-west travel. regenerating Hindley town industrial complex at Leigh Road.