Wigan town centre will be totally transformed over the next five years if the council’s £130m redevelopment of the Galleries shopping centre goes to plan.
Wigan council purchased the Galleries, Makinson Arcade and Marketgate Shopping Centre – a quarter of the town centre’s footprint – in 2018 for £8m.
Responding to market trends with more people shopping online and many high street retailers shutting, the local authority wants to repurpose the site.
Retail space would be reduced to make way for a ‘multi-media centre’ with a six-screen cinema, music and E-sports venue, 10-lane bowling alley and mini-golf as well as more food and drink outlets and ‘evening entertainment space’.