Plans in for major Wigan business park

A new 140,000m² business park on the outskirts of Wigan has been recommended for approval by Wigan Council’s planning committee.

The 134-acre site on Junction 25 of the M6 would provide logistics space and will create 1,650 high-quality jobs when operational, along with 1,200 construction jobs.

Symmetry Park Wigan represents a construction investment of £73M from developer Tritax Symmetry and will provide £3M in business rates payments per year to Wigan Council once operational.

The proposals include high-quality logistics buildings, alongside extensive landscaping and planting. There will be a substantial green buffer between the development and the nearest housing in Winstanley, while new access from the site to the A49 roundabout is also proposed.

The first two units would be developed speculatively, starting construction later this year, with the entire scheme completed by 2027, subject to planning consent.

Tritax Symmetry Director Andrew Dickman said: “Symmetry Park Wigan is the ideal location to take advantage of what is potentially massive growth for the region’s logistics sector. Subject to planning approval, we plan to start on site imminently, with high-quality warehouses as well as routes from the site to the A49, leading to the M6.”

The site sits within the Green Belt and has been identified by Wigan Council as suitable for logistics development in its April 2018 Employment Land Position Statement. The draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework has also identified the site for release from the Green Belt.