For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 23:08 (UTC+1) on Mon 5 May 2025 High pressure brings further fine and settled weather this week Any patchy cloud will clear this evening leaving some late sunshine to end the day with a rural frost and some patchy fog forming under light winds in places Tuesday will be another dry and settled day Feeling warm in the sunshine with light winds though turning cloudier from the west later in the afternoon The remainder of the week will see high pressure dominating It will stay dry with plenty of sunny spells Breezy at times but temperatures will be on the rise Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average Sign our campaign for a grant funding review A quarter of the Wigan homes would be available for affordable rent Wigan Council has approved the developer’s plans to build houses on an 8.6-acre site off Phoenix Way has been given the go-ahead to deliver 101 properties The development would be constructed on a vacant site within an existing residential area in Ince-in-Makerfield It will comprise 12 two-bedroom properties To learn more about the plans search for application reference number A/22/94681/MAJOR on Wigan Council’s planning portal MCK Associates and Hive Land and Planning are advising on both proposals The developer won permission last year to deliver a mix of three- and four-bedroom homes on the site of the former the former Seedfield Centre Read our comments policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The redevelopment of the council-owned shopping mall in the town centre has a fresh moniker which references the area’s industrial heritage and work ethic Daren Whitaker’s housebuilding business has secured reserved matters consent for 150 affordable homes within master developer Peel’s Mosley Common masterplan where it will work with housing association Great Places Register for free North West property intelligence Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Join more than 13,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Police raid a house in Wigan(Image: GMP)Officers raided a Greater Manchester house linked to a number of suspicious packages seized by Border Force Police descended on Bryn Street in Ince, Wigan early on Tuesday morning (March 11) to carry out a drugs warrant Greater Manchester Police says Border Force had seized a number of suspicious packages while GMP says further properties in the Scholes and Ince areas of Wigan are set to be targeted as part of the investigation A GMP Wigan spokesperson said: "This morning (March 11 2025) Officers from the Ince Neighbourhood team executed a Section 8 drugs warrant at an address on Bryn Street "The address was identified after UK Border Force intercepted a number of packages over the past couple of months "Each package contained a significant amount of contraband "The occupant of the address has been identified and is wanted for questioning in relation to the matter "Operation Concept is GMP's name for the collaborative work between UK Border Force, Royal Mail and the Regional Organised Crime Unit, targeting those groups and individuals involved in the importation of controlled drugs, weapons and other illicit items. "Several other addresses have been identified in the Scholes and Ince areas. "Those addresses will be subject to further positive action over the forthcoming weeks." The company published a statement on the stock market saying its Wigan meal production facility was "unsustainable with low margin business in a factory that needs significant investment" The Iceland-headquartered company owns 20 other factories across the UK as well as the one on Manchester Road at Ince-in-Makerfield “This has resulted in the difficult but necessary decision to announce the potential closure of this site with consultation to commence at the end of September 2024,” it said The company said it planned to offer colleagues ‘alternative roles wherever possible’ “We will also be working on several alternative initiatives to help colleagues secure alternative employment opportunities in the local area.” freshly prepared vegetables,ready meals and salads said: “We are deeply disappointed at this news and we will try to support the workforce as best we can “I have asked the council’s economic team to make contact with the company and support all those facing redundancy and their families.” Bakkavor bought the business for £44m from the Hitchen family in 2005 but has recently put its UK operations under review Network Rail is advising passengers of the upcoming temporary closure of Ince station More than £100m is being invested to install overhead line equipment carrying 25,000 volts of electricity over the railway and improve signalling between Wigan North Western station and Lostock Junction in Bolton This project will ensure the track is ready for Northern’s longer electric trains when they are introduced along the route the pedestrian footbridge into the station will be replaced and the platforms extended so they are long enough for Northern’s trains to open all their doors Ince Green Lane road bridge will also be replaced creating enough room for the overhead wires to safely sit beneath The work requires Ince station to be temporarily closed from 2 June until November 2024 Ince Green Lane road bridge will be closed as Network Rail prepares for the bridge’s reconstruction Network Rail’s North West route director said: “I’m grateful to the people of Ince for their cooperation as we rebuild Ince Green Lane bridge and upgrade Ince station as part of the electrification of the line greener journeys as Northern’s electrified trains will be able to use the new infrastructure for years to come.” trains will continue to run on both the Atherton and Westhoughton routes between Wigan and Manchester but they will not stop at Ince regional director for Northern in the North West said: “Whilst there will be short term disruption this work by Network Rail represents a major investment in the railway infrastructure that will benefit future rail services from Ince We thank customers for their patience while the work is carried out.” A diversionary route will be in place for motorists throughout the bridge closure Network Rail and Northern are working with Transport for Greater Manchester to promote the frequent local bus services for passengers travelling to and from Ince passengers are advised to visit www.beenetwork.com a temporary walkway over the road bridge will be in place for pedestrians pedestrians will be able to use Ince Green Lane bridge The temporary walkway will be kept open as much as possible during some of the work it will be closed to keep the community safe To make way for the electrified overhead lines Network Rail is overhauling 17 structures along the route While work like this is carefully planned to cause the least possible disruption to rail passengers a railway closure will also be needed in September replacement buses along the route will keep people on the move between Wigan North Western Those travelling from the Ince Green Lane side of the bridge closure will be directed to follow A577 Manchester Road towards Wigan until they reach Manley Street where the diversion ends Those travelling from the Manley Street side of the bridge closure will be directed right onto Warrington Road towards Wigan and right on A577 Manchester Road to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years Wigan Council has granted planning permission to Seddon for the creation of a £6m head office for modular construction specialist Algeco on the Makerfield Way plot is relocating from Eccles in Salford to the 12-acre Ince-in-Makerfield site The site was previously occupied by a Morrisons supermarket Algeco’s new headquarters will feature 40,000 sq ft of workshop space and 5,000 sq ft of offices The remainder of the site will be used to house the occupier’s modular storage solutions when they are not being leased to customers Aew Architects designed the scheme and Asteer advised Seddon on planning The borough claims it has a “disproportionately high number of HMOs” and is to pursuing the introduction of measures to wrestle back control The housing association is working with main contractor Caddick to build 69 social rent homes for over 55s and a GP surgery on 2.5 acres of disused land on Arrow Street in Broughton The retailer is to close its supermarket in Ince along with three others in England with Morrisons instead looking to invest in four other stores A 45-day consultation process with staff has now begun to determine when the store on Makerfield Way will close and how to minimise job losses The Ince branch is the only store in the North West to close the closures are set to put 400 jobs at risk A spokesperson for Morrisons said: “As we continue to focus on building a broader stronger Morrisons we are constantly reviewing opportunities for new stores and the performance of our existing estate We are planning to invest in four new stores this year and are today “We will now be going through a consultation process at the store and will be discussing how to reduce redundancies and redeploy our highly valued colleagues within the business.” This has been on the cards for years and will make a great Housing Site – just hope the Staff manage to get fixed up elsewhere The benefits of being forced to be part of Greater Manchester eh Something we (Wigan) had absolutely no say in Not quite sure what wigan being in greater Manchester has to do with the closure of a retail store located half a mile from the closest main road You could drive along Manchester Road and have no idea you’re passing it Unfortunately its no shock that it is closing down Need a morrisons more near the town centre so it is on bus route need a car for ince It’s like a lot of other things weve lost in wigan I worked there when I left school in 1995 for 3 years The shop was heaving then with all 24 tills on and all the isles where full Morrison’s in Ince will be sad to see the store shut Enjoyed shopping there friendly staff and a great Csfe Let’s have an Aldi in Ince or a Lidl we need a supermarket get some houses built on it what nobody can afford mortgage on then council can take them over and put the town in more debt The management that morrisons brought in over last 3 years have run the store into the ground No market street counters open from 4pm most evenings never a butcher available to cut the beef etc and never replaced staff that left Poor availability on even the basic of products No pride compared to years ago and long serving staff losing faith George Buttle and Mark Harrison were not here to see this I shopped here coz it was the nearest supermarket Affordable Pies are the key to success in Wigan Castle Home Estates wants to convert Empire House on Church Street in the city centre into homes for 30 people the ruling Conservative party and Labour have lost a combined 60 county council seats The Bakkavor factory at InceAround 750 jobs are under threat following an announcement by food group Bakkavor could close its factory at Ince in Wigan Bakkavor published a statement on the stock market saying its Wigan meal production facility was ‘unsustainable with low margin business in a factory that needs significant investment’ “We will also be working on several alternative initiatives to help colleagues secure alternative employment opportunities in the local area," its said READ MORE: Chef immediately arrested after landing at Manchester Airport The factory produces potato dishes, freshly prepared vegetables, ready meals and salads. Responding to the news, Wigan council leader Coun David Molyneux said: “We are deeply disappointed at this news and we will try to support the workforce as best we can. “I have asked the council’s economic team to make contact with the company and support all those facing redundancy and their families.” Bakkavor bought the business for £44m from the Hitchen family in 2005, but has recently put its UK operations under review. Tyson Construction is the main contractor for the scheme to build 47 Wigan homes Wigan Council is expecting a late 2024 completion for its delivery of 47 affordable properties on the former site of St Mary’s Primary School off Derby Street in Ince Contractor Tyson Construction has broken ground on the brownfield plot to create the homes A Homes England spokesperson said: “Despite the current challenges affecting the country accelerating housebuilding remains our number one priority “We are committed to supporting Wigan Council and our investment through affordable housing grant allows us to do that.” A total of 73 car parking spaces will be provided for residents Each home will also be provided with electric vehicle charging points The site is currently vacant following the closure of St Mary’s Primary School in 2004 and its subsequent demolition in 2015 Homes will be built to Passivhaus standards the first development of its kind in Wigan Passivhaus designs aim to reduce properties’ energy consumption by around 90% compared to traditional housing Plans for Passivhaus homes form part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s target to deliver 30,000 net zero affordable homes by 2038 said: “Building homes to meet the Passivhaus standard is all-being and ensuring these homes will be sustainable for their residents for years to come.” added: “We’ve taken a sensitive approach to this Passivhaus scheme and our focus on creating high-quality low-energy affordable housing has been the objective.” The £10.2m project has secured £2.35m grant funding from Homes England Wigan Council is providing the remaining £7.85m Mosaic Town Planning is the scheme’s planning consultant DEP Landscape Architecture is the landscape architect and Carley Daines and Partners is consulting on drainage strategy search for application number A/22/93614/MAJLA on Wigan Council’s planning portal Build a load more houses in an area not suited and these are much needed affordable homes The Bury scheme would see the Seedfield Centre demolished Almost 200 homes could be constructed across sites in Bury and Wigan under proposals submitted by the housebuilding consortium a joint venture between 10 registered providers and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has submitted a planning application to Bury Council for 86 homes off Parkinson Street while plans for 101 properties on an 8.6-acre site in Ince have also been tabled Hive wants to redevelop the nine-acre site occupied by the former Seedfield Centre into 86 three- and four-bedroom homes The Seedfield Centre previously house several council services but closed in 2017 after the authority deemed it to be no longer fit for purpose Bury Council approved the disposal of the site to Hive for the housing project search for application reference number 69079 on Bury Council’s planning portal Hive has submitted a planning application to Wigan Council for 101 homes off Phoenix Way in Ince-in-Makerfield The development would be constructed on an 8.6-acre site and comprise 12 two-bedroom properties A quarter of the homes would be available for affordable rent To learn more about the plans search for application reference number A/22/94681/MAJOR on Wigan Council’s planning portal More affordable rents needed in the borough so this is good for Wigan queueing outside of the site will be restricted residents may be asked to leave and return at a later time *Trailer length is measured from the hitch to the end of the trailer Please Note: Residents visiting Slag Lane are advised to approach from the Lowton side A valid permit must be obtained online via the Wigan Council website You will receive confirmation that your permit is being processed and then your waste permit will be sent to your email address within two hours Waste permits are valid for one visit only within seven days of issuing Each household is entitled to 12 permits within a 12 month period starting from the date the first permit is requested. The number of permits issued to any vehicle or premises will be monitored For the purpose of this permit scheme a van shall be deemed to be:  Please note: Access to sites will be removed for people misusing the waste recycling permits Permits can be applied for on the same day you wish to take your waste as they will be sent to your computer or mobile device within 2 hours of making your order online A waste permit allows you ONE visit to the recycling centre *If you only have a small amount of garden waste which exceeds one bins worth then please apply for a standard waste permit and select garden waste from the drop-down menu Hire your vehicle then order your free waste recycling permit Are you using a hire a vehicle? – If so you will need to hire the vehicle BEFORE you apply for your waste permit you will need to provide the registration of the hire vehicle Remember to take your hire documents with your waste permit to the Recycling Centre If you fail to present your hire documents and a correct permit entry to the Recycling Centre will be refused Wigan Borough has three waste and recycling centres in the following locations: The recycling centres will close early if there is queuing traffic coming up to the closing time Abusive behaviour towards members of staff will not be tolerated and may result in being denied access to any of the recycling centres Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and CCTV is in place across all sites to monitor vehicle visits To ensure your items are recycled correctly please separate your waste before you visit a recycling centre Please note: Petrol and Diesel are not accepted at any of the recycling centres Batteries are often found in products like laptops Batteries SHOULD NOT be disposed of in any of the kerbside bins. Find your nearest battery recycling outlet from the Recycle Now Locator (external link) If you find a recycling point that is full or damaged you should report it to the relevant organisation Your opinions about our service are very important to us Complete our online customer satisfaction survey (external link) The survey should take a few minutes to complete and will help us to improve the services we deliver to you Keep up to date with latest events and community news by signing up to receive our weekly newsletter