Cityheart and Wigan Council have broken ground at the £135 million Galleries shopping centre redevelopment scheme in the heart of Wigan town centre.
Appointed contractor, BCEGI has started work on site commencing with the demolition of the carpark bridge. The work is due to take 18 months in total, however, during this time once areas of the site have been demolished, new development phases will commence. The first of these phases is the New Market Hall, which is due to be delivered by 2024.
Over and above BCEGI’s demolition contract, BCEGI has committed to supporting further Social Value objectives with Cityheart and Wigan Council, and its initial statement to help boost the local economy through apprenticeships and job creation. Currently 49% of the on-site staff have been recruited from within a 20-mile radius of the scheme and BCEGI is working with a number of local suppliers including contractors and waste removals during this period.
Planning for the redevelopment of the Galleries shopping centre was granted in November 2021 and will provide a much needed vibrant new retail, leisure, commercial destination in the heart of Wigan town centre.
Leader of Wigan Council, Councillor David Molyneux MBE, said: “This an exciting milestone for the Galleries redevelopment and the first of many to come. The redevelopment aims to create as little disruption as possible to the town centre and we’ve prepared an impressive events programme for the festive season to help support local businesses, with the annual lights switch on and Santa parade upcoming. There’ll be lots of activities in Makinson Arcade and the market throughout December, with wreath making workshops, storytelling and craft workshops, gift wrapping services and more.”
Warren Taylor, Director of Cityheart, says: “We are fully committed to delivering this important scheme and continue to work alongside the Council and local community to achieve our vision. It is exciting to see the first stage of the transformation taking place, together with the new hoardings that have been erected, it really feels like tangible progress is being made, which serves to reiterate our message that exciting improvements and changes are coming.”