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Providing fire engineering consultancy on Wigan town centre redevelopment project
22nd Nov 2021
We’ve been appointed to deliver fire engineering consultancy on the £135m redevelopment around the Galleries Shopping Centre in Wigan by Cityheart.
Futureproofing the built environment means ensuring the health and wellbeing of communities, and safety is a major component of that. Our team will be providing fire engineering design advice and developing a holistic fire safety strategy across all buildings that make up the 440,000 sq. ft. mixed use development, from design stage all the way through to their final occupation.
Warren Taylor, Director at Cityheart, said:
“We’re delighted to be working with Hydrock on this high profile, critically important placemaking project for the people of Wigan. It presents a terrific opportunity to create new retail opportunities, homes, entertainment options and also job creation in the heart of the borough.”
Beyond the aesthetic design of the building, we believe structural integrity, costs, sustainability and, of course, fire safety and compliance should be considered at the heart of any development. Involving our fire engineers at such an early stage, alongside the architect, opens up the potential for increased design freedom without ever having to compromise on safety.
Ruirui Sun, Director at Hydrock, said:
“We’re absolutely delighted to be involved in this significant and unique redevelopment in Wigan to create a new living, entertainment and leisure destination in the heart of the town. As we’re seeing around the UK, including other suburbs and towns around Greater Manchester, this type of reinvention is key to creating more equitable and sustainable communities for all. At the same time, this new relationship with Cityheart demonstrates our growing reputation, client base, and holistic fire engineering offering in the North West.”
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council purchased the Galleries, Makinson Arcade and Marketgate Shopping Centre – which makes up a quarter of the town centre's footprint – in 2018 for £8m.
Having been successful with its Future High Street Fund bid, the local authority is aiming to transform the town centre in response to market and social trends by re-purposing the site to include more commercial, entertainment, hospitality and leisure space.
The proposals which have now been given the green light include affordable housing, a hotel, a market hall, co-working space and offices, a re-animated Makinson Arcade, a landscaped public realm square and 460 car parking spaces.
These bold plans are expected to take around five years to complete and the project will be delivered through the strategically appointed joint-venture known as Galleries25.
Work is expected to start on site by the beginning of 2022.
Photos copyright @Cityheart Limited
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