General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

An attractive and economically viable town centre is only sustainable if it continues to attract shoppers with money to spend. For the past decades the Council department responsible for attracting inward investment into Wigan has been a failure.
The bulk of new jobs created have been at the lower end of the earnings league, mainly in warehousing and distribution. Although providing much needed jobs the pay packets don’t leave much disposable income.
The new town centre will thus have to attract money from people that they would otherwise spend elsewhere. For many after they’ve spent elsewhere there’s very little left. This can only be achieved by making Wigan town centre a go to place with a wide variety of outlets covering people’s normal spending patterns. However, if the place doesn’t feel or look right there’s no hope of making it economically sustainable.
I’m afraid that the plans put forward are, in my view, unlikely to win the jackpot.