Key Points
- Persimmon Homes is set to purchase the 59 acre former power station site of Westwood Park at Wigan.
- An exclusivity agreement has been agreed between Persimmon Homes and the local council which marketed the site in 2025.
- Persimmon is progressing with its plans for 450 homes from two plots of land.
- The site is one of Wigan Council’s regeneration priorities and is well located near Junction 25 and 26 of the M6 motorway and A49 link road.
- Westwood power station closed in 1986 and this land has been earmarked for development since that time.
- Outline planning permission was granted for redevelopment in 2015 but has since lapsed.
- The approved plan involved a total of 430 residential units, employment facilities, a neighbourhood centre and a visitor centre for Wigan Flashes.
- Parkinson Real Estate provided strategic and marketing advice to Wigan Council and minority landowner Greenbank Partnerships regarding the transaction.
- Wigan Council states that the development will deliver housing, employment opportunities, investment, affordable housing, wildlife habitat and release pressure on green field sites.
- Persimmon states that it is committed to working with local stakeholders to bring forward proposals that deliver social and economic benefits.
Wigan (Manchester Mirror) October 21, 2026 — Persimmon Homes is to acquire Westwood Park, a 59-acre former power-station site in Wigan, under an exclusivity agreement with Wigan Council, with the developer preparing plans for 450 homes across two parcels of land.
As reported by Dan Whelan of Place North West, Wigan Council began marketing the former Westwood power-station site for sale in 2025 and has now selected Persimmon as its preferred development partner. The agreement does not amount to a completed sale, but gives the housebuilder an exclusive period to progress acquisition and development proposals for the strategically important brownfield site.
The land lies south of Wigan town centre, approximately one mile south-east of the centre, and is served by the A49 link road, which opened in 2020. It is also close to Junctions 25 and 26 of the M6, positioning it as a site capable of supporting both residential development and employment space.
What has Persimmon agreed to do?
Persimmon Homes North West is working up proposals for 450 homes across two parcels totalling 59 acres. The company has not yet submitted a detailed planning application, and the final number, layout, design and mix of homes will depend on the proposals it brings forward.
Ian Hilliker, managing director for Persimmon Homes North West, said:
“This represents a fantastic opportunity to transform a prominent brownfield site into a thriving new community, delivering high-quality homes in a great location close to Wigan town centre.”
He added:
“We share the Council’s ambition for Westwood Park and look forward to working collaboratively with stakeholders to bring forward proposals that create long-term social and economic benefits for local people.”
The council has described Westwood Park as a major opportunity to regenerate land formerly occupied by the Westwood power station, which stopped operating in 1986. The site has been earmarked for redevelopment for many years and forms part of the council’s wider regeneration and housing agenda.
Why is Westwood Park important to Wigan?
Westwood Park is one of Wigan borough’s largest development sites. According to Wigan Council’s planning framework, it covers approximately 28 hectares and the majority is owned by the council, with a small part owned by Greenbank Properties.
The council and Greenbank have previously agreed to work together to support development of the site. Parkinson Real Estate acted for Wigan Council and minority landowner Greenbank Partnerships during the sale process.
Graham Bartlett, director at Parkinson Real Estate, said:
“I am delighted that Persimmon Homes North West have committed to deliver such an exciting scheme in such a significant site for the Wigan and we look forward to working with them.”
Councillor Dane Anderton, Wigan Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration and economic development, said Westwood Park could help deliver “the homes, jobs, and investment our borough needs”.
He said: “Our focus is on good growth: growth that creates opportunity for residents, delivers skilled jobs and affordable homes, strengthens communities and safeguards the green spaces people value most.”
Councillor Anderton also said the project would bring investment to a major brownfield site, meet local housing and employment needs, create wildlife habitats and reduce pressure on greenfield land elsewhere in the borough.
What planning permission exists?
The site previously had outline planning permission for a mixed-use redevelopment, granted in 2015, but that permission has since expired.
As reported by Place North West, the earlier proposal included hundreds of homes and earmarked 12 acres of the wider site for employment uses. It also included a local centre and a visitor centre for Wigan Flashes, an area of biological interest.
Wigan Council’s planning records show that the 2015 hybrid approval, reference A/12/77633/MAJOR, granted outline permission for residential use of up to 430 units, employment uses in classes B1, B2 and B8, a neighbourhood centre and a visitor centre, alongside full permission for new road infrastructure on the A49.
Because that permission has lapsed, Persimmon will need to bring forward a new planning application or otherwise secure the necessary consents before construction can begin. The council has not announced a timetable for submission, determination or the start of work.
How does this fit Wigan’s housing plans?
The proposed 450 homes are higher than the roughly 420-home capacity identified for Westwood Park in Wigan Council’s most recent strategic housing land availability assessment. That assessment recorded a site area of 33.86 hectares, a developable area of 12.41 hectares and a capacity of 429 homes.
Wigan Today reported in September 2026 that the borough’s draft local plan described the 58-acre brownfield site as suitable for around 420 new homes and modern employment space. The report said the site allocation was for a housing-led mixed-use development, with employment space on around 3.5 hectares of land to the east.
Wigan Today also reported that the majority of the site is cleared, except for three buildings, one of which is grade II-listed, along with a substation and surface car parking near office buildings.
The council launched the marketing process in 2025. Place North West reported at the time that best and final bids had been received for the 59-acre plot, which straddles the Westwood Way connector road and sits close to Wigan Flashes.
Wigan Council’s decision-making records show that disposal of the Westwood Park development site was listed as an issue in October 2025, with a Cabinet decision due on January 22, 2026.
What happens next?
The exclusivity agreement allows Persimmon to develop its proposals and work towards acquiring the site. No sale price, completion date, detailed masterplan or construction programme has been disclosed.
The next public milestone is expected to be a planning application, although neither Wigan Council nor Persimmon has confirmed when that will be submitted. Any application would be subject to statutory consultation, planning assessment and determination by the relevant planning authority.
The council’s stated priorities include affordable homes, skilled jobs, community strengthening, protection of valued green spaces, new wildlife habitats and reuse of brownfield land. Persimmon has said it will engage collaboratively with stakeholders as proposals develop.
Background of the development
Westwood Park occupies land formerly used for the Westwood power station, which ceased operations in 1986. The site has since been identified by Wigan Council as a long-term redevelopment opportunity because of its size, location and proximity to transport links.
The land is close to the A49 link road, opened in 2020, and Junctions 25 and 26 of the M6. Its location near Wigan town centre and Wigan Flashes has shaped previous proposals for a mixed-use scheme combining housing, employment, local services and environmental facilities.
The 2015 outline permission represented the most recent formal planning consent for the site before it expired. It allowed for up to 430 homes, employment floorspace, a neighbourhood centre, a visitor centre and road infrastructure.
Wigan Council appointed Parkinson Real Estate to market the site in 2025. The council and Greenbank Partnerships jointly instructed the agent, reflecting the split ownership of the land.
Prediction: What it could mean for Wigan residents
For Wigan residents, the agreement could lead to a substantial increase in housing supply close to the town centre, with Persimmon currently working towards 450 homes. If approved and built, the development may bring new residents, spending and construction activity to the area, while also creating potential demand for local services and infrastructure.
For prospective homebuyers and renters, the project could eventually expand choice in the local housing market. However, the council’s reference to affordable homes indicates that affordability and the final housing mix will be important issues during the planning process.
For people living near Westwood Park, the main practical effects are likely to emerge during planning and construction: traffic, access arrangements, drainage, open space, ecology and the relationship between new homes and Wigan Flashes will be key considerations. The council has emphasised brownfield reuse and habitat creation, while Persimmon has committed to collaborative working with stakeholders.
For local businesses and jobseekers, the earlier planning framework included employment space, although Persimmon’s current announced proposal focuses on 450 homes across two parcels. Whether employment space forms part of the revised scheme has not been confirmed.
