Planners have revealed a new vision for the future of one of Wigan town centre’s busiest streets.
Wallgate is all set to receive a makeover that will transform it from a noisy thoroughfare into a tree-lined pedestrian-friendly boulevard.
Wigan Council’s Cabinet heard this week that the high-profile scheme will see the old pavements between Wallgate Bridge and King Street replaced with traditional Yorkstone and the bollards will be removed. There will be more trees and a move to ‘de-clutter’ this area of the town centre by getting rid of any unnecessary street signs and out-of-date street furniture.
Wigan Council’s Cabinet Champion for the Environment and the Economy, Cllr David Molyneux explains: “We recognise how important this area is both for local people and for visitors to our borough. Because of the two railway stations, for many people this is the gateway into Wigan and Wallgate is the first scene they will see.
“It is really important that the town centre moves with the times and this scheme will give the area an exciting, modern and cosmopolitan look.
“By doing this we can make Wallgate and the town centre a more attractive place for shops and businesses and would give the town’s economy a real boost.”
To this end the plan will also improve the traffic flow through the area by looking at the direction of travel, pedestrian crossing and traffic lights, bus stops and more.
“Part of the proposals are to restrict traffic travelling between King Street and King Street West to public transport and bicycles,” says Cllr Molyneux. “We have been working closely with the town centre community on this and have modified the scheme to take into account trader’s concerns. The next step is to consult with the town centre community to find out their views on the more detailed scheme. We have also been talking to the business community about how we can introduce pavement cafes, which we think would give the area a real buzz.
“We believe the changes will help ease congestion at peak times and increase safety in what is a popular area with pedestrians.”
The scheme is the first phase of the larger Saddle Relief Road improvement scheme which will also improve major routes heading to and from the town centre. The council has submitted a funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to enable the scheme to progress and if all goes according to plan, work will begin on the first phase of the scheme in January 2011.
