DTZ to rethink Wigan’s Westwood Park scheme
WIGAN Borough Council is to look at alternative uses for the 44-acre Westwood Park site near Wigan town centre.
The council is currently in talks with consultants DTZ about repoisitioning the site, which had been earmarked for employment use potentially for a leisure scheme or other use.
The site is just off the A49 link road around a mile outside of the town centre and two miles from J25 of the M6.
“We’re working very closely with DTZ about revisiting opportunities on the Westwood site,” said Wigan Borough Council’s director of economy, Steve Normington.
The site has already had a significant amount of investment with funding from the North West Development Agency providing infrastructure works and improved access. The work was completed in two phases between 2005-07.
Moreover, more than 90% of the land at the site is currently under council ownership, making a wholesale repositioning much easier. It is also close to Wigan Flashes – a body of water which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the wildlife it attracts.
“We will be exploring whether alternative uses on that site will give us a more realistic delivery model,” he said. “We’ll look at what planning opportunties there might be in the commercial world and procurement opportunities for a development partner who can help us bring that forwards.”
A report outlining options for the site and a procurement model for delivering is expected to be put before Wigan Counci’s cabinet for approval by mid-2012.
For more on plans for the regeneration of Wigan, read our interview with Steve Normington here…
