Ambitious plans for regenerating Leigh town centre have taken a big step forward after Wigan Council successfully bid for help from regional development bosses.

Money from the North West Development Agency (NWDA) will pay for a £50,000 feasibility study and ‘masterplan’ that will shape the future of the town.

The council has promised that local residents and businesses will be fully consulted to ensure they have a say about how the centre should be developed.

The regeneration plans will mark the next phase in a transformation that has already seen major council projects such as Leigh Sports Village, the development of Bickershaw Colliery; and the extension of Parsonage retail area and Leigh East Hilton Park. Leigh MP Andy Burnham said: “There have been vast changes in the Leigh area over the last few years and more changes to come.

"The development of Leigh Sports Village has been vital to strengthening the town’s position as one of the North-west’s prime locations. “We now need to ensure that the town centre is developed to reflect the change in the local area.”

Plans being considered include demolishing some of the town’s eyesores, creating high quality public spaces, encouraging new investment and developing new premises.

Cllr David Molyneux, Cabinet Champion for Regeneration and the Environment added: “Commissioning the feasibility study and masterplan is the next step for this very exciting project.

"We’re aiming to ensure that the borough’s town centres thrive and offer the best possible environment for residents, visitors and businesses.

“Through the plan we will identify development and investment opportunities, explore how the town centre can benefit from the regeneration schemes that have been taking place around it, and ensure that local people and businesses are consulted at every step of the way.”

For more information about the plans for Leigh town centre, contact Christine Bainbridge, Resource Procurement and Development Manager on 01942 828960 or by email, c.bainbridge@wigan.gov.uk.