Wigan Album

Thanks Ron for posting this.
It is an extract from The Murrayfield Redevelopment Plan proposed in the late 1950’s.
Gone would have been The Queens Hall along with every other building on Market Street and much more besides.
There would have been a multi storey New Civic Centre in Millgate with a new park sweeping down to a new dual carriageway replacing Station Road. Of course the dual carriageway eventually went ahead but now we have the back of the empty Debenhams store in The Grand Arcade, not a park.

Looking at this drawing it looks like Market Street & Mesnes Street would have been completely lost under the new development. Back in the 1959, the 60s were on the horizon and multi-million pound regeneration projections were underway that saw certain towns in England become very ahead of their time with funky shopping centres and an alternative way of living. Places like Skelmersdale, Runcorn, Telford, Stevenage & Milton Keynes spring to mind from this era. I’m guessing Wigan wasn’t quite ready for such a huge change all those years ago.

CJ

CJ, that is correct but appears the old Electric Showroom and the Wesleyan Church are left intact though.