Wigan Council has received initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the second phase of the Haigh Woodland Park project.
Made possible by National Lottery players, the project aims to restore and bring unused areas of the park back to life while enhancing the overall visitor experience.
Development funding of £256,000 has been awarded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help Wigan Council progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant at a later date.
The project aims to address the major restoration needed to protect the heritage of the site, while expanding the activities on offer for visitors to enjoy.
The project will also explore ways in which the park can further impact on the health and wellbeing of visitors, identify ways to boost volunteering and educational activity and enhance the biodiversity value of the park, in particular the woodland.
Haigh Woodland Park has become a regional hotspot for tourism since major investment was completed in 2016 following £3.6 million investment from Wigan Council.
Phase one of the Haigh masterplan included car parking improvements, construction of the play area, adventure golf and high ropes, conversion of the stables into Haigh kitchen courtyard and installation of new furniture.
Commenting on the award, Councillor Chris Ready, cabinet member for corporate assets, said: “We’re delighted that we’ve received this support thanks to National Lottery players. Lots of our residents have fond memories of the park and can remember the era of the zoo, greenhouses and model village.
“Sadly, these areas have been closed off for many years due to a lack of funding. If successful, this funding will help us to open us these spaces once again, giving visitors even more opportunities to explore and appreciate what the park has to offer. Haigh Woodland Park means so much to so many people in our borough and we’re determined to get this right for them and our future generations.”
Feedback from a resident’s survey in 2019 helped to shape the proposal and over the next few months, Wigan Council will launch a big listening exercise, giving residents and visitors another opportunity to engage and shape the future of Haigh Woodland Park.
