North West property developer Heaton Group has announced that they’ve taken ownership of ‘Wigan Pier’ mills – with plans to bring it back into “a world class venue”.

The Grade II listed Victorian Eckersley Mills have fallen into disrepair – with Wigan Council forcing former owners to demolish the mills – however Heaton Group have plans to try and restore much of the site and make it a centre for residential, business and leisure excellence.

They plan to develop “a brand new destination for the town, retaining and restoring as much of the history and character as possible, whilst providing world class amenities for people to live, work and play.”

John Heaton, Managing Director at Heaton Group, said: “We are excited to have acquired this fantastic site in an amazing location with so much potential. It will be an honour to create a new chapter for Eckersley Mill and as a proud Wiganer I can’t wait to bring something hugely special to my home town. Former owners Maryland Securities, having recognised the potential of this site, obtained the planning consent for a major scheme of circa one million square feet and we are delighted now to take over the regeneration proposals of this important industrial heritage site in Wigan.”

The firm will work with Studio KMA and PBA to kick off the project.