Green light for £132m funding to improve road links between Wigan and Bolton

The Government has given stage on approval for a £132m scheme to deliver a new fast east-west road network between Wigan and Bolton.

Although the towns are only six miles apart, road journey times have long been an issue for local commuters.

Wigan Council and Bolton Council, with support from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, have been successful in the first stage of the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Forward Fund.

The fund was created by the Government to help deliver new homes by unlocking strategic housing and employment sites on brownfield land through new infrastructure and to mitigate the impact of increased traffic.

The joint bid for Wigan and Bolton is one of only four approved to go to the next stage in Greater Manchester and by far the biggest.

It will deliver at least nine road infrastructure projects which will enable an estimated 12,000 new homes to be built in the coming years.

The roads will be at: Westwood Park; North Leigh Park; South of Hindley; Pemberton Colliery phase two; land at Wigan Enterprise Park (Phoenix Way to Seaman Way); east of Atherton; south Atherton and Westhoughton bypass

It will also continue the link road north from Atherleigh Way to support the delivery of additional sites through to the M61 in Bolton.

Once completed the east-west connection will link junction 26 of the M6 across Wigan borough through south west Bolton to Junction 5 of the M61.

Lord Peter Smith, leader of Wigan Council, said: “We are thrilled that this very significant bid to transform the road network in Wigan Borough has been approved at the first stage.

“There is still a lot of hard work to do but if it receives final approval this funding will see the realisation of a long-held plan to create a fast and joined up east-west road network in Wigan Borough, reducing journey times, support businesses and boost economic growth.

“Wigan, Bolton and the GMCA have pulled together to be one of only a handful of successful bids in the region.

“This is testament to the brilliant cross-authority partnership working we have pioneered in Greater Manchester.”

Deputy leader of Bolton Council Cllr Ebrahim Adia said: “It is welcome news that our joint scheme with Wigan has progressed to the next stage.

“If we are successful in receiving the funding, it will really help to alleviate the congestion in the west of our borough, which we all agree is much needed.

“The Westhoughton Bypass is essential to alleviate extra strain on surrounding roads, and to help to reduce traffic and journey times in both towns.

“However, there is a long way to go and we will continue to work with Wigan and the Combined Authority to develop the detailed business case for the scheme.”

The Forward Fund is aimed at a small number of strategic and high impact infrastructure schemes, and bids are expected to deliver a step change in housing supply.

The £132m will be used to build the road infrastructure and to remediate the brownfield sites to a standard acceptable for housing development.

The Bolton element is £38.1m for Westhoughton Bypass and the Wigan element is £93.7m.

It is part of the Housing Infrastructure Fund a government capital grant programme of £2.3bn, aimed at facilitating the delivery of new homes in England.

The Government will now work with the councils to create a detailed business case before a final approval decision is made.

This is expected to take around six months before a final decision will be made.

Wigan Council has outlined its ambitious plans to grow its economy through its Deal for the Future strategy over the next 10 years.

The bid will play a significant part in realising those ambitions to create 10,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs.