First phase of £200m Eckersley Mills plan revealed

The first phase of the Heaton Group’s plans for the transformation of a Grade two-listed mill in Wigan into a food hall and offices have been approved by Wigan Council.

Under the scheme, which has been welcomed by Historic England, the regeneration specialists will carry out a sensitive conversion of Mill One at Eckersley Mills and transform it into a thriving complex that is perfect for 21st century work.

The proposals are for the ground floor to be converted into a 22,000 sq ft food hall, featuring a series of individual stalls, and a micro-brewery. The upper three floors would be used for offices, including the Heaton Group’s headquarters.

In total, the scheme will create close to 80,000 sq ft of office space and will be home to almost 400 jobs. The ambitious plan includes a rooftop extension, providing additional work and events space.

The plan represents the first phase of a wider £200m masterplan for the 17-acre site.

A planning application to restore Mill Three and create 137 loft-style apartments was also submitted just before Christmas and that will be considered by the council in the coming weeks.

A wider masterplan for the entire site is currently being discussed with Wigan Council and will be made public later this year.

Managing Director, John Heaton, said: “We are a Wigan business, and this is a special scheme for us because we live and work in the town and know how important it is. We understand it will bring a host of positive benefits to Wigan, but we also know it must be done right.

“We want to bring life back to the mills. That is why we are committed to saving as much as we can. We are breathing new life into a neglected asset.”

He added: “For too long this is a site that has suffered from a lack of vision and investment. Our plans are all about rescuing what we can and creating something the people of Wigan can be proud of.

“These plans will create jobs and attract new businesses into the town. It is an ambitious project, but we have a track record of delivering high quality developments across the North West, often on complex, brownfield sites like this.”

Close to Wigan town centre, the entire Eckersley Mills site covers a vast 17 acres and is one of the largest undeveloped brownfield sites in the North West. Eckersley Mills was once the largest cotton producing site in the region, and contains a group of buildings, which were built between 1883 and 1920.

The Government’s adviser on the historic environment, Historic England, has welcomed the scheme for Mill 1.

Trevor Mitchell, its director for the North, said: “The Eckersley Mill complex has been a sleeping giant for too long. Big sites demand bold responses and a strong mix of uses. The food court and office space will create a something fresh for the area, while the new windows and roof terrace will reinvigorate the mill as a key landmark.”

He added: “There’s enormous potential right across Wigan and the North West for levelling up through re-using these important historic mills which once shaped how we live. These buildings can be thriving, creative spaces with real heritage and community value, providing jobs, space for leisure, retail, and much needed homes.

“By sensitively re-using existing buildings we can also make a significant contribution to getting to net zero by 2050 as the emissions from demolition and rebuilding from scratch are avoided.”

The Heaton Group is also exploring plans to develop a purpose-built industrial estate close to the Eckersley Mills site where it will accommodate as many of the existing tenants as possible.

The Heaton Group, which bought the site in 2021, has assembled a team of professionals to support its plans, including architects Fletcher Rae and planning consultants Paul Butler Associates.