ALTHOUGH many have raised concerns about the state of Leigh town centre, better times should lie ahead as the town will soon benefit from a huge £32m cash injection.
As highlighted in the General Election campaign, many Leythers despair about the perceived decline of a "once proud town", with empty shops, neglected buildings, and anti-social behaviour becoming a heavy feature of the town centre in recent years.
With many other towns suffering a similar fate, the Levelling Up Fund was set up to address this decline and improve these communities, and Leigh was selected to receive £11.4m - after an initial rejection - in November 2023.
As Leigh was also recognised as an "overlooked town" by the previous government, the town will receive a further £20m to be spent over a ten-year period, and those in charge of this investment say that "excellent progress" has been made so far.
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Civic Square, shop fronts, Leigh market
As previously reported, the £11.4m Levelling Up Fund is allocated for three projects in Leigh town centre: improvements to Civic Square, a shop front business grant scheme, and a refurbishment of Leigh Market.
As a central location in the town centre, Civic Square is hoped to become a revamped and attractive space with improved paving, planting, trees, seats, and spaces outside the Town Hall.
Building on the successful events that Civic Square has hosted over the years, such as the Women's Euros fan park, Leigh Leopards homecoming, the King's Coronation, and Leigh Feasts, it is hoped that the Square will continue to be used as a cultural and community space.
Adding to the Strategic Regeneration Framework set out for Leigh by Wigan Council, the Civic Square revamp also intends to "reimagine streets" and improve connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists through the wider town centre.
A 'Play Garden Trail' is also proposed to incorporate natural play elements around nature, education, and sensory interest.
In the shop front improvement scheme, the council is offering grant funding to incentivise owners to invest in their premises and improve its appearance, which in turn, is hoped to improve the aesthetic of the high street and trading environment.
The two priority areas for the scheme will be Bradshawgate and Railway Road, and will provide opportunities to restore historic building features and improve the quality of shop signs and frontage.
A similar scheme, funded through Historic England, has been a success in Tyldesley with the improvement of several buildings along Elliott Street.
A long-established and popular feature of the town centre, Leigh Market will also undergo a long overdue refurbishment under the Levelling Up plans.
While planners aim to continue the market's traditional offer, there is a desire to upgrade and modernise the space to attract more businesses and customers.
In addition to improving the building facilities, the investment will be used to construct a new seating area, a new roof and solar panels, new windows and roof lights, a glazed entrance foyer, as well as improving signage for the market building and individual traders.
The three Levelling Up projects aim to be delivered across Leigh town centre by March 2026, with the council committed to working with traders to minimise disruption in the market.
£20m 'Town Board' funding
As Leigh was recognised as one of 50 "overlooked towns" in desperate need of investment, this 'Long Term Towns Fund' will be spent on projects focused on safety and security, regeneration and heritage, and transport and connectivity.
With this investment to be spent over a ten-year period, a 'Town Board' was set up in March to implement a strategy on how best to spend this funding.
This Board comprises local councillors, Leigh and Atherton MP Jo Platt, representatives from the police, business, community, and education sectors, and is chaired by Spinning Gate shopping centre manager Karen Cox.
Aiming to bring the community on board with the project, a survey which asked people how they would invest in Leigh attracted more than 1,500 responses this summer, which the Board is using to formulate their long-term plan.
With the three projects in mind, some suggestions have included the increase of police and safety marshal patrols to tackle anti-social behaviour in the town centre.
Regeneration funding will be used to complement the Levelling Up project, while connectivity proposals will look into pedestrian and cyclist routes as well as Bee Network improvements.
After a ten-year vision and three-year investment plan is agreed upon by the Board, it will be submitted to government for approval before the plans can be delivered.
'Extremely good progress' and 'exciting times' for Leigh
Speaking about the £32m investment that is set to benefit Leigh, Leader of Wigan Council, Cllr David Molyneux, said that "extremely good progress" has been made so far, which will build on the success that Leigh has experienced in recent years.
Cllr Molyneux said: "Leigh has had some excellent success over the last few years, with some great events that have encouraged people into the town centre and Civic Square.
"The groundwork is in place for the plans, and after going through consultations and listening to residents and traders, I think we have made some excellent progress on the projects.
"It's great that people are getting involved with the Town Board and want to help transform the town [...] and whether it is through sport, events, or the regeneration itself, there are some exciting times ahead for Leigh!".
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