Plans to breathe new life into the ‘iconic’ Wigan Pier have been given a boost of more than £1 million.
The development is one of three schemes to receive a share of £6.5 million from the Greater Manchester Housing Fund.
Eight modular townhouses are due to be built alongside the canal, with a wedding venue, gin distillery, microbrewery and food hall also proposed inside the Pier’s landmark buildings.
The £1.134 million loan was sought by developers Step Places to cover the cost of building the waterside townhouses.
Bosses at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority approved the loan on Friday, describing the project as a ‘regeneration priority’ for Wigan council.
Planning permission for the mixed-use development was approved by the authority in July.
Marie Bintley, the council’s assistant director for growth and housing, said: “Once complete the development will ensure that Wigan Pier once again becomes an iconic destination that people want to live in and visit for years to come.”
Wigan council is supporting the Step Places project alongside arts non-profit The Old Courts and the Canal and River Trust.
As per council policy, none of the townhouses will be offered as affordable housing as the there are fewer than 11 homes.
But Gareth Smith, development director at Step Places, expects demand for the 'one-off' homes to be high.
He added: “Sustainability is hugely important to us and the homes we are building at Wigan Pier will not only be built to the highest standards of quality and specification, but will be low energy, smart homes and include allotments and waterside gardens.
A section 106 agreement of £2,500 will be used to replant trees that will be removed during construction.
The GMCA supported another Wigan borough development last month after agreeing to lend £967,000 for Lawrence Barries Home to build 10 houses at the Rectory Gardens development in Aspull.
The redevelopment of the brownfield site was awarded planning permission last December.
