Developers set to give Wigan Pier bright new future
PLANS FOR HISTORIC VENUE TO BECOME MULTI-MILLION POUND LEISURE FACILITY
WIGAN Pier is set for an exciting new future as multi-million pound plans to breathe new life into the historic venue are revealed.
The Pier, immortalised by George Orwell’s graphic 1937 description of the plight of the working class in his book The Road to Wigan Pier, was originally a loading jetty where wagons would pile coal onto barges bound for the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.
The regeneration of the area led to the end of the famous Wigan Pier nightclub, which was torn down in 2014. The club’s popularity peaked in the mid-1990s with the explosion of the house music and rave scene.
Currently the Pier’s three 18th century industrial buildings stand as derelict eyesores, but the new plans would see them transformed into ‘multi-functional leisure ventures.’
No further information has been revealed about just what the plans entail, other than ‘promoting arts, culture and events.’
The Warehouse is a 23,200 square foot, three-storey warehouse and grain store built in 1790 which later became the Way We Were Museum.
The Orwell, formerly Gibson’s Warehouse, was originally constructed in 1777 and rebuilt in 1984. Boats would originally moor inside the building and unload into the warehouse.
The Education Centre was used to support education opportunities at The Way We Were Museum and has a total floor area of 4,500 square feet.
Manchester-based regeneration developer Step Places has been chosen by Wigan council, in partnership with the Canal & River Trust, to drive forward the next stage of project.
It is the latest stage in a 10-year regeneration project dubbed the new road to Wigan Pier. First announced in 2014, it aims to be a catalyst for wider development in the area.
Harinder Dhaliwal from Step Places, said: “Our proposals will see the buildings become a multi-functional leisure venue promoting arts culture and events.”
Coun David Molyneux, deputy leader of Wigan council, said: “Wigan Pier is one the most iconic locations in the north west. We have had long-held ambitions to create a new purpose for Wigan Pier as a destination and leisure attraction.”