A £132m bid to deliver a new fast east-west road network across Bolton and Wigan, including Westhoughton bypass, was given stage one approval by the government.
A £132m bid to deliver a new fast east-west road network across Bolton and Wigan, including Westhoughton bypass, was given stage one approval by the government.
Bolton and Wigan Councils, with support from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, have been successful in the first stage of the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Forward Fund.
The fund was created by the government to help deliver new homes by unlocking strategic housing and employment sites on brownfield land through new infrastructure and to mitigate the impact of increased traffic.
The joint bid for Bolton and Wigan is one of only four approved to go to the next stage in Greater Manchester and by far the biggest.
It will deliver at least nine road infrastructure projects which will enable an estimated 12,000 new homes to be built in the coming years.
The roads will be at:
- Westhoughton Bypass
- Westwood Park
- North Leigh Park
- South of Hindley
- Pemberton Colliery phase two
- Land at Wigan Enterprise Park (Phoenix Way to Seaman Way)
- East of Atherton
- South Atherton
It will also continue the link road north from Atherleigh Way to support the delivery of additional sites through to the M61 in Bolton.
Once completed the east-west connection will link junction 26 of the M6 across Wigan borough through south west Bolton to Junction 5 of the M61.
Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Ebrahim Adia, said: “It is welcome news that our joint scheme with Wigan has progressed to the next stage.
“If we are successful in receiving the funding, it will really help to alleviate the congestion in the west of our borough, which we all agree is much needed.
“The Westhoughton Bypass is essential to alleviate extra strain on surrounding roads, and to help to reduce traffic and journey times in both towns.
“We will continue to work with Wigan and the Combined Authority to develop the detailed business case for the scheme.”
Lord Peter Smith, leader of Wigan Council, added: “We are thrilled that this very significant bid to transform the road network in Wigan Borough has been approved at the first stage.
“There is still a lot of hard work to do but if it receives final approval this funding will see the realisation of a long-held plan to create a fast and joined up east-west road network in Wigan Borough, reducing journey times, support businesses and boost economic growth.
“Crucially it will help unlock housing sites which will deliver thousands of much needed new homes in the borough.
“The successful bid underlines the effectiveness of Greater Manchester working together on strategic issues such as this.
“Wigan, Bolton and the GMCA have pulled together to be one of only a handful of successful bids in the region.
“This is testament to the brilliant cross-authority partnership working we have pioneered in Greater Manchester.”
The Forward Fund is aimed at a small number of strategic and high impact infrastructure schemes, and bids are expected to deliver a step change in housing supply.
The £132 million will be used to build the road infrastructure and to remediate the brownfield sites to a standard acceptable for housing development.
The Bolton element is £38.1 million for Westhoughton Bypass and the Wigan element is £93.7million.
It is part of the Housing Infrastructure Fund a government capital grant programme of £2.3 billion, aimed at facilitating the delivery of new homes in England.
The Government will now work with the councils to create a detailed business case before a final approval decision is made.
This is expected to take around six months before a final decision will be made.