£2.6 million announced to make buildings in Wigan more efficient
It's part of a £30 million investment package
A £2.6 million pound investment package has been announced to make buildings in Wigan more efficient.
It'll also be spent on decarbonising retail and leisure premises too including the redevelopment of the Galleries shopping centre.
The money has come from Triple Point Heat Network Investment Management as part of the Government’s new Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF).
Ken Hunnisett, Programme Director for Triple Point Heat Networks Investment Management said: “Such has been the pace at which the Green Heat Network Fund has launched that we are still announcing the late-stage successes of its predecessor, the Heat Network Investment Project.
"The new network at the heart of the redeveloped Galleries Shopping Centre in Wigan will be delivering low carbon heat to retail, leisure, and residential premises within the next 3 years.”
Wigan Council secured £2.6 million from the final round of the HNIP, marking it as one of the final projects to benefit from the funding scheme before it officially closed earlier this year.
The funding will support the development of a heat network which is part of a wider £190 million regeneration project which will entail the demolition and redevelopment of the current Galleries Shopping Centre and Market Hall Buildings in the heart of Wigan Town Centre, providing residents with a vibrant, attractive, and accessible place to live and visit.
These new developments will be underpinned by low-carbon ambient heating loops made possible by the HNIP grant and are replacing current outdated and energy-consuming systems.
Councillor David Molyneux MBE, the leader of Wigan Council, welcomed the news, commenting: “In July 2019, Wigan Council launched its Climate Change strategy, demonstrating our commitment to building a greener and more sustainable borough. The Galleries redevelopment has been designed with these principles at its heart and this funding will help us to realise these ambitions while reducing the environmental impact.”