{{Short description|Local authority for Wigan, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}} {{Use British English|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox legislature | name = Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council | native_name = | native_name_lang = | transcription_name = | legislature = | coa_pic = Coat of arms of Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council.png | coa_caption = Coat of arms | coa_res = | coa_alt = | logo_pic = Wigan Council.svg | logo_caption = Corporate logo | logo_res = | house_type = Metropolitan borough council | body = | houses = | term_limits = | foundation = | disbanded = | preceded_by = | succeeded_by = | new_session = | leader1_type = Mayor | leader1 = Anne Collins | party1 = <br/>Labour | election1 = 26 May 2026<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 21 May 2025 |url=https://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=319&MId=5587&a=1 |website=Wigan Council |access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Graham |first1=Charles |title=Former teacher sworn in as new Wigan mayor |url=https://www.wigantoday.net/education/former-teacher-sworn-in-as-new-wigan-mayor-5141024 |access-date=28 July 2025 |work=Wigan Today |date=22 May 2025}}</ref> | leader2_type = Leader | leader2 = Nazia Rehman | party2 = <br />Labour | election2 = 18 May 2026 | leader3_type = Chief Executive | leader3 = Alison McKenzie-Folan | party3 = <!-- Non-political role --> | election3 = 2019<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clarke |first1=Gaynor |title=Wigan Council's chief executive 'delighted' to receive OBE in King's birthday honours list |url=https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/wigan-councils-chief-executive-delighted-to-receive-obe-in-kings-birthday-honours-list-4666610 |access-date=28 July 2025 |work=Wigan Today |date=15 June 2024}}</ref> | seats = 75 councillors | house1 = | house2 = | structure1 = Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council 2026.svg | structure1_res = 250px | structure1_alt = | structure2 = | structure2_res = | structure2_alt = | political_groups1 = ; Administration (42) : {{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Labour (42) ; Other parties (33) : {{Color box|{{party color|Reform UK}}|border=darkgray}} Reform UK (25) : {{Color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=darkgray}} Independent (8) | political_groups2 = | committees1 = | committees2 = | joint_committees = Greater Manchester Combined Authority<br />Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel | voting_system1 = First-past-the-post | voting_system2 = | last_election1 = 7 May 2026 | next_election1 = 6 May 2027 | previous_election1 = | previous_election2 = | session_room = Town Hall (Formerly Wigan And District Mining And Technical College) And Railings.jpg | session_res = 120px | session_alt = | meeting_place = Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan, WN1{{nbsp}}1YN | website = {{URL|wigan.gov.uk}} | footnotes = | motto = Progress with Unity }} '''Wigan Council''', or '''Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council''', is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2011.
The council has been under Labour majority control since the metropolitan borough was created in 1974. It meets at Wigan Town Hall and has its main offices at the adjoining Wigan Life Centre.
==History== {{further|County Borough of Wigan}} The town of Wigan was an ancient borough, having been granted a charter in 1246. From around 1350 the borough was led by a mayor. The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. It was then governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Wigan', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council.<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 |date=1911 |publisher=Victoria County History |location=London |pages=68–78 |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol4/pp68-78 |access-date=4 June 2024}}</ref>
[[File:Old Wigan Town Hall.jpg|thumb|left|Old Town Hall, King Street: Built 1867, vacated 1990 and demolished 2013]] When elected county councils were established in 1889, Wigan was considered large enough for its existing council to provide county-level services, and so it was made a county borough, independent from the new Lancashire County Council, whilst remaining part of the geographical county of Lancashire.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wigan Municipal Borough / County Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10109206 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=4 June 2024}}</ref>
The larger Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of ten metropolitan districts within the new metropolitan county of Greater Manchester. The first election was held in 1973. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's fourteen outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Wigan and Leigh, the urban district councils of Abram, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Aspull, Atherton, Billinge and Winstanley, Golborne, Hindley, Ince-in-Makerfield, Orrell, Standish-with-Langtree, and Tyldesley, and the Wigan Rural District Council. The new metropolitan district and its council formally came into being on 1 April 1974, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|schedule=1|access-date=30 May 2024}}</ref>
The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Wigan's series of mayors dating back to the 14th century.<ref>{{cite web |title=District Councils and Boroughs |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1974/mar/28/district-councils-and-boroughs#S5CV0871P0_19740328_CWA_145 |website=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |access-date=30 May 2024 |date=28 March 1974}}</ref> The council styles itself Wigan Council rather than its full formal name of Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council.<ref>{{cite web |title=Find your local council |url=https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council/wigan |website=gov.uk |access-date=4 June 2024}}</ref>
From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater Manchester County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Greater Manchester's ten borough councils, including Wigan, with some services provided through joint committees.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1985|year=1985|chapter=51|access-date=5 April 2024}}</ref>
Since 2011 the council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across Greater Manchester, notably regarding transport and town planning, but Wigan Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011|year=2011|number=908|access-date=30 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Understand how your council works |url=https://www.gov.uk/understand-how-your-council-works |website=gov.uk |access-date=30 May 2024}}</ref>
==Governance== Wigan Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; the leader of Wigan Council sits on the combined authority as Wigan's representative.<ref>{{cite web |title=GMCA Members |url=https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/who-we-are/gmca-members/ |website=Greater Manchester Combined Authority |access-date=30 May 2024}}</ref> There are three civil parishes in the borough at Haigh, Shevington and Worthington which form an additional tier of local government for their areas; the rest of the borough is unparished.<ref>{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=30 May 2024}}</ref>
===Political control=== The council has been under Labour majority control since the 1974 reforms.<ref name=compositions>{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=21 May 2025 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "Wigan" in search box to see specific results.)</ref><ref name=change>{{cite news| url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/elections/local_council/08/html/bw.stm | title = Wigan | access-date = 2010-03-14 | work = BBC News Online | date=19 April 2008}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" |- !colspan="2"|Party!!Period |- | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || 1974–present |}
===Leadership=== The role of Mayor of Wigan is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1974 have been:
{| class=wikitable ! Councillor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! To |- | Tom Hourigan<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jackson |first1=Norman |title=Leading the way |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0004985%2F19731030&page=13 |access-date=27 July 2025 |work=Manchester Evening News |date=30 October 1973 |page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Council leader dies in hospital |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1182638433 |access-date=28 July 2025 |work=Bolton News |date=24 November 1975 |page=11}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|1 Apr 1974 || align=right|Nov 1975 |- | Bernard Coyle<ref>{{cite news |title=Council to slash £1m from estimates |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1182511798 |access-date=28 July 2025 |work=Bolton News |date=23 January 1976 |page=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Shryhane |first1=Geoffrey |title=Mr Wigan stepping down |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0005196%2F19910510&page=1 |access-date=28 July 2025 |work=Wigan Observer |date=10 May 1991 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Mayor Coyle! |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0005196%2F19950131&page=20&article=146 |access-date=28 July 2025 |work=Wigan Observer |date=31 January 1995 |page=20}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|Jan 1976 || align=right|May 1991 |- | Peter Smith<ref>{{cite news |title=New Metro leader pays tribute |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0005196%2F19910517&page=5 |access-date=28 July 2025 |work=Wigan Observer |date=17 May 1991 |page=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Massey |first1=Dane |title=Lord Peter Smith quits: Greater Manchester's longest-serving council leader stands down after 27 years |url=https://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/news/11052018-lord-peter-smith-quits-greater-manchesters-longest-serving-council-leader-stands-down-after-27-years/ |access-date=28 July 2025 |work=Mancunian Matters |date=11 May 2018}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|May 1991 || align=right|May 2018 |- | David Molyneux<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 23 May 2018 |url=https://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=319&MId=3503&a=1 |website=Wigan Council |access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|23 May 2018 || align=right|18 May 2026 |- |Nazia Rehman || {{party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|18 May 2026 || align=right|Incumbent |}
===Composition=== Following the 2024 election,<ref>{{cite news |title=Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2024/may/02/local-elections-2024-full-council-results-for-england |access-date=21 May 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=4 May 2024}}</ref> and subsequent changes of allegiance and the passing of a councillor the composition of the council was:<ref name=Thorncliffe>{{cite web |title=Wigan |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=wigan |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" ! colspan=2| Party ! Councillors |- | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=center|62 |- | {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=center|1 |- | {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} || align=center|10 |- ! colspan=2|Total ! align=center|75 |}
Six of the independent councillors (four of whom are supported by the Independent Network) sit together as the "Community Independent Alliance" group, another four form the "Independent Together" group, and the other does not form part of a group.<ref>{{cite web |title=Your councillors by political grouping |url=https://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=GROUPING&VW=LIST&PIC=0&a=1 |website=Wigan Council |access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref> The next election is due in May 2026.<ref name=Thorncliffe/>
==Elections== {{see also|Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council elections}} Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council has comprised 75 councillors representing 25 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Wigan (Electoral Changes) Order 2022|year=2019|number=1372|access-date=4 June 2024}}</ref>
==Cabinet== The current composition of Wigan Council's Cabinet is as follows.
{| class=wikitable ! Party key | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |}
{|class="wikitable" |- ! Post ! colspan=2 | Party ! colspan=1 | Councillor ! colspan=0 | Ward |- | style="background:#aaeecc;" colspan="5" | '''Leader and Deputy Leader''' |- | Leader And Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Transformation | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | '''Nazia Rehman''' |Abram |- | Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | '''Keith Cunliffe''' |Leigh Central and Higher |- | style="background:#aaeecc;" colspan="5" | '''Cabinet members''' |- | Cabinet Member for Planning, Environmental Services and Transport | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | '''Vacant''' | Vacant |- | Cabinet Member for Children and Families | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | '''Vacant''' |Vacant |- | Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | '''Vacant''' |Vacant |- | Cabinet Member for Housing and Welfare | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | '''Vacant''' |Vacant |- | Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | '''Vacant''' |Vacant |- | Cabinet Member for Police, Crime and Civil Contingencies. | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | '''Vacant''' |Vacant |- | style="background:#aaeecc;" colspan="5" | '''Lead Members''' |}
==Wards and councillors== The councillors as at May 2026 were:<ref>{{cite web |title=Your Councillors by Ward |url=https://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0&a=1 |website=Wigan Council | date=16 May 2026 |access-date=16 May 2026}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" !Ward!!colspan="2"|Party!!Councillor!!Term of office |- |rowspan="3"| Abram |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || David Bowker || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Co-operative}} || Nazia Rehman || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Co-operative}} || Martyn Smethurst || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Ashton-in-Makerfield South |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Kathy Morrill-Ashford || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Andrew Bullen || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Danny Fletcher || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Aspull, New Springs and Whelley |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Jo Meadows || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Laura Flynn || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Christopher Ready || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Astley |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Eileen Strathearn || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Barry John Taylor || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Christine Lillian Roberts || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"|Atherton North |{{party name with color|Independent Network|full=yes}} || Jamie Hodgkinson || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Paul Watson || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Independent Network|full=yes}} || Stuart Andrew Gerrard || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"|Atherton South and Lilford |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Martin Farrimond || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Lee McStein || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || John Harding || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Robert Kenyon || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Independent politician}} || Scarlett Myler || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Independent politician}} || Steve Jones || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Douglas |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Matthew Lambert || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Matt Dawber || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Mary Callaghan || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Golborne and Lowton West |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Susan Frame || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Susan Gambles || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Yvonne Klieve || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Hindley |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Paul Manniex || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || James Talbot || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Paul Blay || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Hindley Green |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Liam Clarke || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || James Palmer || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Independent politician}} || Bob Brierley || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Ince |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Gemma Painter || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Independent politician}} || Tony Whyte || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Independent politician}} || Maureen O'Bern || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Leigh Central and Higher Folds |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Tina Kennedy || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Fred Walker || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Keith Cunliffe || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Leigh South |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Leon Peters || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Co-operative}} || Charles Rigby || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Co-operative}} || Kevin Anderson || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Leigh West |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || David Evans || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Sue Greensmith || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Dane Anderton || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Lowton East |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Simon Smith || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Mike Smith || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Jenny Gregory || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Orrell |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Paul Bannister || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Anne Collins || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Mark Tebbutt || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Pemberton |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Simon Silcock || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Eileen Winifred Rigby || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Jeanette Prescott || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Shevington with Lower Ground and Moor |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Lilian Rogers || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Vicky Galligan || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Paul Anthony Collins || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Standish with Langtree |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Michael Whalley || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Terry Mugan || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Debbie Parkinson || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Tyldesley and Mosley Common |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Adrian White || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Independent Network|full=yes}} || James Fish || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Joanne Marshall || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Wigan Central |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Lee Moffitt || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Michael McLoughlin || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Lawrence Hunt || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Wigan West |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Sam Ashton || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Sheila Ramsdale || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Phyllis Cullen || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Winstanley |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Paul Forbes || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Clive William Morgan || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Co-operative}} || Paul Terence Kenny || 2023-27 |- |rowspan="3"| Worsley Mesnes |{{party name with color|Reform UK}} || Keith Whalley || 2026-30 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || Paul Molyneux || 2024-28 |- |{{party name with color|Labour Party (UK)}} || David Hurst || 2023-27 |- |}
==Premises== The council meets at Wigan Town Hall on Library Street, which had been built in 1903 as the Wigan Mining and Technical College.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Town Hall (formerly Wigan and District Mining and Technical College) and railings|num=1384483|grade=II|access-date=5 June 2024}}</ref> After the college moved to new premises, the building was converted into a town hall in 1990 to replace the Old Town Hall on King Street.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mayors Handbook |url=http://www.wigan.gov.uk/Services/CouncilDemocracy/Mayoralty/MayorsHandbook/HandbookLookingBack.htm |website=Wigan Council |access-date=5 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070606212853/http://www.wigan.gov.uk/Services/CouncilDemocracy/Mayoralty/MayorsHandbook/HandbookLookingBack.htm |archive-date=6 June 2007}}</ref>
thumb|Wigan Life Centre, The Wiend, Wigan, WN1{{nbsp}}1NH: Council's main offices The council's main offices are at the Wigan Life Centre on The Wiend, a modern building completed in 2012 behind the retained façade of the former Municipal Buildings facing Hewlett Street and Library Street. The building also incorporates the town's library.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wigan Life Centre |url=https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Council/Contact-us/Life-Centres/Wigan.aspx |website=Wigan Council |access-date=5 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Morgan Sindall completes £50m Wigan Life Centre |url=https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/275501-morgan-sindall-completes-50m-wigan-life-centre |access-date=5 June 2024 |work=The Business Desk |date=27 January 2012}}</ref>
thumb|Municipal Buildings, Hewlett Street: Retained façade of 1900 building, with Wigan Life Centre behind thumb|Wigan Civic Centre, Millgate: Council's main offices 1970–2018 The old Wigan Borough Council had held its meetings at the Old Town Hall on King Street, which had been built as a courthouse in 1867 and had become the council's headquarters in 1882. By the 1950s the council had moved its main offices to the Municipal Buildings, being a converted row of shops and offices at the corner of Hewlett Street and Library Street, which had been built in 1900.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Municipal Buildings, Hewlett Street|num=1384469|grade=II|access-date=5 June 2024}}</ref> Meetings continued to be held at the Old Town Hall until the new Town Hall opened in 1990. The offices were supplemented by the construction of the Civic Centre on Millgate in 1970. After the council consolidated its offices at the Wigan Life Centre and Town Hall, the Civic Centre closed in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dunton |first1=Jim |title=Shedkm cleared to turn brutalist former council HQ into start-up space |url=https://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/shedkm-cleared-to-turn-brutalist-former-council-hq-into-start-up-space/5127685.article |access-date=5 June 2024 |work=Building Design |date=8 February 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.wigan.gov.uk/ }}
{{Local authorities in Greater Manchester}} {{Metropolitan districts of England}}
Category:Local government in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan Category:Metropolitan district councils of England Category:Local authorities in Greater Manchester Category:Local education authorities in England Category:Leader and cabinet executives Category:Billing authorities in England Category:1974 establishments in England