It’s time to get your skates on and head down to Wigan town centre! An impressive 18 sq m ice rink will soon be open for everyone to use on the new piazza at the front of the new Wigan Life Centre.

Wigan Council has secured the future of its two outdoor education centres in the Lake District thanks to an exciting new partnership with a national charity. At its meeting on Thursday January 26 members of Wigan Council’s Cabinet decided to enter into an agreement with the Brathay Trust which means the twin centres of Low [...]

Council engineers plan to open up Sovereign Road, opposite the Lidl supermarket on Darlington Street. This will allow traffic coming into town from Lower Ince to bypass the busy crossroads at a new priority give-way junction. This then makes the existing crossroads more efficient for all other traffic

Bedford High School has restored an important piece of local history: a brass plaque commemorating over a hundred young men from what was then Leigh Boys’ Grammar School who fought and died for their country in two world wars.

Wigan Council is working with construction firm Redrow to bring affordable homes to the borough. The first show house on the College Court development in Newtown – on the site of the old St Thomas More High School – will be opened on Saturday 28 January

Council tax chiefs who are urging residents not to be taken in by companies that claim they can recoup hundreds of pounds in overpaid council tax. It follows reports that some residents are handing over a substantial amount of money in ‘administration fees’.

Three youths have been prosecuted for breaching a Section 30 Dispersal Order in the Borsdane area of Hindley. The group, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were recently asked to leave the precinct as part of measures to reduce antisocial behaviour, but when they refused police arrested them.

Council leaders are to consider a plan for the two Lakeland outdoor education centres that could secure their future for the borough’s schoolchildren for years to come.

Many libraries will be operating differently as the borough’s library service budget has been reduced by £1.1m as a result of government cuts this year. The new look library service has achieved this by reducing some opening hours in certain locations, relocating services and by maximising stock and staff rotation across libraries.

This year’s annual Holocaust Memorial Day will encourage residents in Wigan and Leigh to “Speak Up and Speak Out” to create a safer and better future! Wigan and Leigh will unite on Friday 27 January to remember those killed in the Holocaust and other genocides.

The miners strike of 1984 and the legacy of the mining industry is the focus of a new exhibition at the Turnpike Gallery, Leigh. Face is a specially commissioned documentary, archive and audio-visual exhibition by Paula Keenan, Lesley Sutton and Dave Meehan which opens this weekend.

While some retailers are pleased with sales over the Christmas period, many families could well be dreading the bills coming through the letterbox now that we’re into January. But help is at hand from your local credit union who can offer straightforward advice on personal finance and, if needed, affordable credit to their members.

Wigan Council’s ruling cabinet has announced plans to boost access to the town centre at weekends with proposals for a number of car parking sites.

Wigan Council has made annual savings of £200,000 following a strict programme of energy management. And many of the fuel saving efficiencies can be used at home to cut your own fuel bills.

Wigan is one of the safest places to live – and it’s getting safer every year. Together with the police, housing, fire, health services and other partners, here’s how Wigan Council helped to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in our communities during 2011….

Wigan Borough’s new multi-million pound public services ‘hub’ – the Wigan Life Centre, is officially open for business. And early reports from opening day today (Monday January 9) suggest that business is good! Situated between Hewlett Street and The Wiend in the heart of Wigan Town Centre, the 6500 sq ft building is the culmination [...]

The north west’s only newly built central library to open in 2012 will unlock its doors to the public on Monday. With more than 70,000 books, 37 computers with free internet access, a large collection of CDs and DVDs, and an events programme packed to the rafters the new Wigan Library opens to the public [...]

A town centre car park is about to get a new lease of life helping to alleviate long-standing parking problems at Wigan Infirmary. From Saturday January 7, Mesnes Terrace Car Park will no longer operate as a general car park after being sold by Wigan Council to Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust (WWL).

GRANTS of up to £2,000 are available to help Wigan and Leigh folk organise their own community events celebrating the 2012 London Olympics. But the deadline for applications is fast approaching!

Unfortunately, there may be some disruption to a small number of brown and blue bin collections on Friday 30 December and Saturday 31 December (these are the services which replace a normal week’s Thursday and Friday collections). We are aware of the issues and there is no need to contact us about it. Please continue [...]

Wigan Council has opened the doors for a sneak preview of its exciting new public services ‘hub’.The Information and Learning Zone will officially open its doors to the public early in the New Year. Situated between Hewlett Street and The Wiend, next to Wigan Town Hall, the 6,500 square foot building will be the culmination [...]

Imagine it’s one minute past midnight on January 1… Millions of people will be making a pledge to improve their health, lifestyle and prospects for the year ahead. But just how many of these good intentions fade faster than the chimes of Big Ben?

Everybody knows that Christmas dinner is the best meal of the year, and pupils at St John’s CE Primary in Hindley Green really loved their festive spread with their friends this week. But, thanks to behind-the-scenes work by the council’s catering experts, MetroFresh, this year’s school Christmas meals were better than ever.

With over 30 stalls selling an array of wares from locally produced honey and handmade gifts to hog roast and mulled wine and living door wreaths, Atherton’s Christmas Market was a huge success.

Keep in touch over Christmas That’s the message to all residents of Wigan Borough over the festive period. During the holiday season there will be some changes to the availability of some of the council’s regular services and amenities.