Latest news

 Big news unveiled for borough green belt sites

This week has seen a big announcement regarding several proposed development sites across the borough.

After listening to public feedback, four sites will not be taken forward in the Local Plan development blueprint, due out for consultation next month. 

This includes: North of M6 junction 26 (known locally as The Bell), Moss Industrial Estate extension, Bridgewater West in Astley, and West of Winwick Lane in Lowton.

Cabinet members will next week also outline their opposition to proposals at West of Gibfield in Atherton, a housing and employment development site. 

Significant changes have also been made to the six housing developments set to be retained in the Local Plan, which are not in the green belt.

These changes have come as a direct response to the views shared during previous consultations and will be discussed at a cabinet meeting next week, ahead of a further round of consultation on the final stages of the Local Plan.

Applications open for new Wigan Market 🍏

Businesses, makers and event organisers are being invited to register their interest in Wigan's new market hall ahead of its opening next year.

Wigan Market at Fettlers, operated by Wigan Council, will open in the spring as the centrepiece of the wider Fettlers development, bringing the market back to the heart of Wigan town centre.

The council would like to build a picture of businesses that want to be part of the new venue, alongside existing market traders.

The new facility will have space for a wider mix of independent retail, fresh food, street food and kitchens, bars and cafes, makers, services, and a programme of events and entertainment throughout the day and into the evening.

Come and say hello to our new Leader 👋

Councillor Nazia Rehman is continuing her series of Meet the Leader drop-in events across the borough.

The next of the monthly sessions will be at Standish Library on Tuesday 25 August, 12.30pm to 2pm, and everyone is welcome to come along.

This is a great opportunity to meet Nazia, share your views, ask questions about local issues, and find out more about your local community.

The next session after Standish will be at Hindley Library on Tuesday 15 September. More details will follow in future newsletters!

Hindley revamped with new-look gym 💪

Hindley Leisure Centre has officially reopened its refurbished gym, becoming the seventh and final Be Well leisure centre to benefit from a major investment in brand-new fitness facilities and equipment. 

The refreshed space now features state-of-the-art Technogym cardio equipment, creating an even better experience for members looking to get active, stay healthy and achieve their fitness goals.

New additions include interactive treadmills, upright exercise bikes recline bikes, cross trainers and adaptive trainers as well as much more regularly-used euipment.

With refreshed training spaces, upgraded surroundings and the very latest fitness technology, there's never been a better time to make your wellbeing a priority at Hindley.

What's on

The Great Viking Festival

See legends come to life and step into the age of warriors at The Great Viking Gathering at Pennington Flash on Saturday 29 August and Sunday 30 August. The Ydalir Vikings will be bringing a viking camp, live re-enactments, archery workshops, combat displays, heritage crafts, market stalls, family fun and longboat sailings from 10am-4pm each day. FREE. No Booking Required.

More what's on...

🪗 Proms in the Park returns to Wigan and Leigh for two evenings of live music, community spirit and celebration. Enjoy performances from Tyldesley Brass Band, bring a picnic, and round off the night with a spectacular firework display from Smart Pyro. Dates for the diary: Saturday 5 September – Mesnes Park, Wigan. Saturday 12 September – Pennington Hall Park, Leigh. Tickets available here.

🌟Landgate community day

Join us for another fantastic FREE Community Day!

This time, we're heading to Ashton-in-Makerfield at Landgate estate between 1pm and 4pm on Wednesday 26 August where they'll be plenty of fun for all, including:

🐾 Meet & greet with Bluey

🎨 Crafts with Family Hub

🎭 Face painting and fun games with Wigan Youth Zone

🎯 Games & activities

🎵 Music & karaoke fun

🪓 Axe throwing & archery with Be Well Outdoors

🚓 Meet our Neighbourhood GMP Officers and explore a real police car

Plus, local support services will be on hand including community link workers, health coaches, Tom’s Pantry, care co-ordinators, and health services. Save the date and bring the whole family along for a fantastic day of fun, activities, and community support!

🦇 Twilight Nature & Bat Walk. Join us at Haigh for an evening of discovery! Learn about the bats, explore the woodland's trees, wildlife, insects and fungi, and as darkness falls, use a bat detector to listen to bats hunting overhead. Binoculars for your ears! Thursday 10 September 2026 at 7pm. Please meet outside the Haigh Visitors Centre. Cost for adults is £15, children under 12 are free. Book your places here

🦋 Discover the Moths of Haigh! Join our moth enthusiast for a fascinating morning uncovering the secret world of Haigh's night-flying pollinators. Get up close to incredible species, including the stunning elephant hawk-moth, as we safely inspect and release moths from our humane overnight traps. Perfect for nature lovers of all ages, the experience also includes a round of crazy golf with thanks to Friends of Haigh Woodland Park. Saturday 12 September 2026, 9am-10.30am. Please meet at the Friends of Haigh Woodland Park Crazy Golf course which is located next to the fun fair. Cost for adults is £7.50 and children under 12 are free.  Get your tickets here

🌞Spinning Gate Shopping Centre in Leigh have planned lots of free giveaways, events and attractions during the summer holidays, all undercover in case of rain, including children's goodie bag and children's book giveaways, and hide & seek style giveaways.The shopping centre has also planned free summer entertainment for shoppers from 11am - 3pm on Fridays & Saturdays. This includes a digital graffiti wall on Saturday 22 August, Giant games area on Friday 28 and Gold Bar Challenge & Mega Buzz Wire Hire on Saturday 29.

Our communities

Local leaders appointed for Pride in Place 🎉

Two important new appointments have been announced this week, with a pair of local champions set to oversee £20m investment plans across our communities.

With strong links to the local community, Chris Fairhurst has been appointed as the independent chair of the Pride in Place board in Marsh Green and Laithwaite, while local hero Lisa Aldred will lead the board in Platt Bridge and Spring View.

Both chairs will be responsible for driving forward £20m of government funding over a 10-year period, with the aim of giving local people the power to decide how best to spend the investment and make improvements to their community.

Joining the pair on their respective boards will be residents, businesses, stakeholders, and representatives from the voluntary sector, while public surveys remain ongoing to listen to public feedback.

Best allotment in the borough! 👏

Congratulations to Cath and Mike Leadbetter, who have been presented with the 2026 James Prescott Challenge Cup for the best allotment in the borough.

We visited their beautiful plot at Back Wigan Road allotments in Ashton to present them with the trophy, named in honour of a local gardener, who donated the prize in 1956 to encourage more people to love their allotments.

Keeping an allotment plot is a wonderful way to connect with nature, get outdoors and stay active. They can also be a haven for local wildlife including pollinators.

Whatever your results, we're here to help🎓

The council's aspiring futures team are here to help all young people who are aged 19 or under (or up to age 25 if you have additional needs or a disability) who need any support with their next steps after receiving their results.

The team are available to support you after exam results day and can be contacted by emailing aspiring.futures@wigan.gov.uk

You can also call the exam results helpline on 0800 100 900 and get advice from a qualified careers adviser. They are open 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturday.

More in our communities...

🚴Could you volunteer at the Tour de France? Tour de France is on its way to Wigan! The world’s largest free sporting event is coming through the borough on Saturday 3 July 2027. The cyclists will venture through Orrell as part of a 1.7-mile stretch at Stage 2 of the Grand Depart heads from Keswick to Liverpool. Here's your chance to be involved with a one-of-a-kind sporting event and help your local community shine to millions of spectators around the world! Volunteer applications are now open and will close on 1st September. Make sure you don't miss out on this amazing opportunity and submit your application here.

📢Applications are now open for the Greater Manchester Black History Month 2026 Community Micro-Grants Programme. Community groups and organisations across Greater Manchester can apply for up to £500 to support local Black History Month activities, including education, culture, entertainment, heritage, story-telling, wellbeing and community dialogue. Applications close at 12 noon on Friday 4 September 2026. To apply, please click here and complete the form 

🏠 Let's Talk... Ready, Set, Let! You can have a chance to look around a 'void' home which is now ready to be let, and chat to our Void Team on the Mobile Living Room on Wednesday 26 August! We want to hear your thoughts on what makes a home 'ready to let' as well as your personal experiences about the condition of your home when moving in. The Mobile Living Room and viewing opportunity will be coming to 6 Yates Street Leigh 9.30am-12pm and Ridyard St 117 Worsley Hall in the afternoon.  Or fill the survey to share your thoughts and experiences: Help Shape Our Lettable Standards

Here For You

Cost-of-living events near you 💛

As part the Here for You campaign, the council is hosting drop-in events at our local Life Centres, libraries and community venues so local people can find out more about the support they're entitled to during the cost-of-living crisis.

Both locally and nationally, many residents are missing out on income they're entitled to claim - either because they don’t know they're entitled, have difficulty completing forms, or are just unsure where to turn to for support.

If you'd like to speak to someone in the know, head to the council website where you'll find the full schedule of drop-in events.