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Film in Wigan Borough

Authentic locations

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Film friendly support

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Proven screen credits

Get in touch about filming

Wigan Borough is a film-friendly destination offering authentic northern locations, practical council support and a proven track record with major UK and international productions.

From gritty urban streets and heritage civic buildings to parks, canals, woodland and wide-open countryside, filmmakers can achieve multiple looks within a compact, well connected borough — saving both time and budget.

Why Film in Wigan?

Victorian red-brick civic building with ornate gables and arched windows on a quiet street in daylight.

A proven filming location

Wigan has experience supporting scripted and unscripted productions of varying scales. We understand production realities and aim to work flexibly to help filming run smoothly.

Diverse, authentic locations

The borough offers a wide range of visual settings close together:

  • Terraced housing and post-industrial streets
  • Historic town halls, libraries and civic buildings
  • Parks, woodland and countryside
  • Stadiums, sports and leisure venues
Historic canal-side brick building with clock tower and modern extensions reflected in calm water at dusk.

A supportive, film-friendly council

We have a dedicated filming contact that sits in our Public Relations Team and acts as a single point of contact, helping with permissions, logistics and internal coordination across council services.

Wigan Council is proud to be a member of the Filming in England Partnership and has supported productions for Sky, BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Netflix. Credits include The Split Up, Sherwood, Black Ops, Brassic, World on Fire, The Bay, Peaky Blinders, Ridley, No Return and Everyone Else Burns.

Community-Positive Filming

We recognise the cultural and economic value of film and television. Where possible, income from filming activity is reinvested into creative initiatives and opportunities for local people, supporting our ambition to be a Film Friendly Borough.

In December 2025 we launched our Filming Fund to enable local talent to access those creative industries, right here in their hometown. Take a look at our recent bootcamp that saw young people make their own documentaries alongside award-winning filmmakers.

People in casual clothes pose in two rows indoors against a black backdrop, with some kneeling in front.

"Nothing short of amazing"

"The response from you and your colleagues has been nothing short of amazing. You acted so positively and quickly to all our questions - speaking to other council colleagues and getting us answers at super-quick speed.

Everyone on the directors’ recce felt the warmth and positivity, which helped secure Leigh Town Hall as our chosen location. Wigan is now right at the top of my list for future projects."

Jessica Dove
Location Manager

Filming on Council Land

Filming on Wigan Council land requires an application and the following supporting documentation:

  • Health and safety risk assessment(s)
  • Public liability insurance (minimum £10 million cover)

Notice periods

  • Small‑scale filming: minimum one week’s notice
  • Productions requiring site meetings: two to three weeks
  • Road closures or Traffic Regulation Orders: allow up to four weeks

Early engagement is encouraged to allow us to support your proposal effectively.

Drones

Any use of a drone during filming will require you to notify Wigan Council in advance and supply all relevant licences and PLI.

Find guidance on filming with drones from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (external link) and Filming in England (external link).

Regional Support

For filming outside council‑owned land or wider production support, Wigan Borough works in partnership with Creative England and regional screen agencies across Greater Manchester and the North West.

Contact us

To discuss filming in Wigan Borough please fill in the form below.

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