Wigan Council has entered into an exclusivity agreement with FTSE 100 housebuilder Persimmon Homes to deliver a major residential-led regeneration scheme at Westwood Park, a 59-acre brownfield site south of the town center.
The agreement paves the way for Persimmon Homes North West to work up detailed plans for approximately 450 homes across two main land parcels on the former Westwood Power Station site, which has stood vacant since operations ceased in 1986.
Site Context and Connectivity Infrastructure
- Location: Situated one mile southeast of Wigan town center, adjacent to the Wigan Flashes nature reserve and near Junctions 25 and 26 of the M6 motorway.
- Transport Access: Unlocked by the A49 link road, which opened in 2020 to provide direct vehicular access to the strategic employment and residential zone.
- Masterplan History: The site previously received outline planning consent in 2015 for a mixed-use development,which included 12 acres of dedicated employment space alongside community and ecological facilities.
Transforming Brownfield Industrial Assets
The selection of a major housebuilder forms part of Wigan Council’s strategy to prioritize brownfield land development over greenfield allocations, reducing development pressure on surrounding countryside while bringing underutilized urban land back into productive use.
Local authority representatives confirmed that the emerging masterplan will combine market and affordable housing with new public open space and ecological buffer zones designed to protect the adjacent Wigan Flashes area of biological interest.
Detailed planning submissions for the first phase of housing are expected to be submitted to Wigan Council following public consultation.
