People across Wigan Borough will oversee the investment of millions of pounds to improve their local communities as part of the Pride In Place national project.
Two neighbourhoods in Wigan Borough are to receive £20,000,000 over the next 10 years to help improve their local area and opportunities for residents. The communities of Platt Bridge & Spring View and Marsh Green & Laithwaite were selected by the Government as Pride in Place areas in the second wave of the programme.
It follows on from Leigh town centre being selected in its first phase. Residents will decide how the money will be spent through Neighbourhood Boards.
The aim is for the long-term funding to bring residents together, improve the local area and create better opportunities for local people. Leigh Neighbourhood Board is already up and running and the boards for Platt Bridge and Marsh Green & Laithwaite will be formed by the summer.
What is the Pride in Place programme?
It’s a government plan to help focal communities improve the places where they live. It gives money and support to neighbourhoods so local people can decide how to improve their local community. Bringing communities together to encourage volunteering and create more opportunities for people to develop new skills and interests together. In short, it hopes to build stronger and safer communities, thriving neighbourhoods, and more control for local people. into use, improving community centres, parks or making streets safer. Communities can also choose to improve culture, sports, and green spaces. The goal is to make neighbourhoods nicer places to live, shop, and spend time and improve social mobility. All decisions depend on what local people say they need most.
Pride In Place is part of the overarching Progress With Unity work in our Borough. Wigan Council want to redirect money back into our Borough and this is part of that.
Who decides how the money is spent?
Each ares will set up a Neighbourhood Board, which Includes residents, local businesses, community groups, the council, and the local MP. These boards will talk to the community and decide what changes matter most. This means people who live in the area have a real voice in shaping their neighbourhood. The idea is to let communities “take back control” of local improvements.
These boards will be set up over the next two months of 2026 – March onwards – with chairs being recruited. At least 50% of these boards must be made up of residents.
How were the areas in Wigan Borough chosen?
Leigh was selected in 2023 as part of the then Government’s Long Term Plan for Towns and is now part of the Pride in Place programme. Platt Bridge & Spring View and Marsh Green & Laithwaite were chosen through data that identified communities where the need for community renewal was deemed to be vitally important.