It is literally an uphill battle to attract elderly people to Wigan town centre as they face long walks from bus stops and claim there's nothing for them to do. ‘Who wants a cinema, bowling alley or mini golf - old people can’t do that’, one woman said.
Joyce Taylor and friend Rita Rogers, out in the centre to visit the bank and get a coffee, both believe the £135million Galleries redevelopment is not a positive for the town. The plan will turn the former shopping centre into an evening entertainment venue with 464 homes and a new market hall.
“There isn’t an array of shops here,” retiree Joyce said.
READ MORE: The Greater Manchester streets where people are terrified of Christmas
“You have to go to Manchester or Liverpool [for shopping] and that’s not ideal, especially with the trains at the moment. There is nothing for people our age.
“There is nothing here now. A lot of shops packed up and went when they brought in the Grand Arcade.”
Joyce pointed out the irony in the fact that the old Ritz Film Centre cinema was knocked down in 2004 to make way for the Grand Arcade opposite the Galleries site - as that is now being bulldozed for a new complex with a cinema. Fellow retiree Rita added: “It’s what the council wants, what they’re doing now with the Galleries, not the people.
“What annoys me is that when they built this place they wanted to put a cinema in and a bowling alley. Lots of stupid things like that, so there is nothing to come into Wigan for us older people.
“All the good shops like Debenhams and M&S are gone. We wouldn’t do our Christmas shopping here.
“The council talks about heritage a lot, but they’ve knocked the heritage down to build this place [The Grand Arcade]. There isn’t much left of Wigan.”
Debenhams left the Grand Arcade during the Covid pandemic back in 2021. This followed closures of other big brands including M&S, BHS and Topman.
Joyce claimed “older people are being penalised” because the bus stops are “too far away” from the centre and often the elderly who are less mobile cannot get up the slopes into the town centre.
Another retiree, Pat Whitecunas, agreed with Rita and Joyce about the issues the town centre faced - but believed the council had lost the trust of the people after the last redevelopment of the Galleries decades ago.
Pat claimed they ‘got it wrong’ more than 30 years ago which is why they are having to redevelop it again now. She had her own suggestions as to what should go into the numerous empty shop slots.
“We need something like a supermarket in the empty shops. If you live in the centre you have to go out of the centre to get a supermarket which is daft.
“It needs something that brings people in. The Galleries project more for younger people, not for us. What’s a cinema and bowling alley to us?
“Look how many big shops there are in the cities - that would bring me in. If they did the market up to what it used to be it would be packed.”
Tesco Extra on Central Park Way and Lidl on Darlington Street are the closest supermarkets to the town centre. Despite being short walks, the streets sloping towards the Grand Arcade are the problem facing elderly people with mobility issues.
Her group of friends, Madge Henderson, Ann Whalley and Elizabeth White, all in their 70s, said it can take some less able-bodied people around 45 minutes to get into town from the nearest bus stop.
They were all wanting the best for their town, but lacked confidence it could be delivered through this new project.
Wigan Council bought the Galleries in 2018 in a bid to halt the decline of the town centre and create a vibrant, attractive and accessible place to live, work and visit.
Their vision was not appreciated by the elderly in the town centre, but two young mums said they would be drawn back to Market Street if the whole package was complete. Currently they feel there is nothing, other than the nightlife, to bring young people into town.
“There’s nothing here for us,” retail worker Jen Cain said. “There isn’t anywhere to shop on the high street.
“It's busy on the high street for people but there are no customers when you go around the corner. There is just nothing to bring us in.
“Only Primark has kids' clothes for example, we need more. I saw the plans for the Galleries redevelopment when they were released. I can’t believe what they've got until it’s there though.
The 34-year-old believes the council should lower the rents and rates for shops to attract more businesses and shoppers. Jen’s fellow retail worker Dinah Collier, of Hindley, said she would ‘definitely’ come into the town if the Galleries brought all it promised. She just wants something for her two children to do if they did come with her.
“Nothing to brings kids in at the moment,” the 26-year-old mum said. “I want something for them to do, activities and so forth.
“People don’t want what’s in the centre at the moment, we want more food places as they only have Greggs and Galloways. I think it would be good if the council did deliver on this.”
Despite this optimism, shoppers are still not impressed with the lack of big names on the high street. With more than 1,000 fashion retailers closing in last year and hundreds following this year - empty shops are killing town centres.
John Smith, 58, who was visiting Wigan after six months away, said: “The town isn’t great but St. Helens, which is close to me, is no better.
“I’d go to Manchester or Liverpool for shopping. It has been six months since I’ve been in town.
“We only have ourselves to blame though because we all went for these retail parks. They’ve driven business away from the town.”
Wigan Council said it has already considered public views during the consultation period of the development.
Speaking after ground was broken on the demolition of the old site, council leader David Molyneux MBE said: "This an exciting milestone for the Galleries redevelopment and the first of many to come.
"The redevelopment aims to create as little disruption as possible to the town centre and we’ve prepared an impressive events programme for the festive season to help support local businesses, with the annual lights switch on and Santa parade upcoming.
"There’ll be lots of activities in Makinson Arcade and the market throughout December, with wreath making workshops, storytelling and craft workshops, gift wrapping services and more."
Read more of today's top stories here.
READ NEXT:
READ NEXT:
-
'I was given less than a year to live after devastating diagnosis - but now I've got a fresh start'
-
Man arrested on suspicion of murder of Elle Edwards recalled to prison on licence
-
The new restaurant with one of Greater Manchester's best views
-
The Greater Manchester town which was 'better than Bury' - but then got 'forgotten'
-
NHS faces another day of pressure after hospitals declare 'incident' and patients urged to avoid A&E
