PARENTS in the borough will be able to take advantage of 30 hours more free childcare.

Wigan Council is one of only eight areas in the country which have been chosen to pilot the scheme which will give more free childcare to parents of three and four year olds.

The borough has been chosen because of the council’s track record of delivering new ways of working successfully previously.

The pilot will start in September and will be open to 450 children from families where both parents work a minimum of 16 hours a week.

Currently all children receive 15 hours free early education and childcare a week the term after they turn three for 38 weeks of the year.

From September 2017 the scheme will then be rolled out to all families as a pilot to shape how the service will work.

Councillor Jo Platt, portfolio holder for children and young people at Wigan Council, said: “This is fantastic new that parents will be able to benefit from free childcare a year before the scheme is rolled out nationally.

"By being a pilot area we can also influence how the system will be brought in nationally along with our partnership work with providers – something which we are experienced in as a former pilot area for supported childcare places for two year olds.

“The support for working parents also links in well with The Deal for the Future which is about encouraging growth across the borough and what many people need is affordable childcare options which gives them the chance to get into work without worrying about those care bills.”