Hive was instructed to provide a wide range of planning and development consultancy advice across the project, supporting a £140m Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) bid to unlock future growth within South Lancaster, including a 3,500 home Garden Village. In a ‘client-side’ role we provided comprehensive project management and capacity support, as well as core advice around the delivery of housing and infrastructure. Our work also included specific advice on HIF and the related liaison and partnership work with Homes England.
We secured £24m of Good Growth funding for the Heaton Group through a fiercely competitive process. Without this essential grant, the project simply couldn’t proceed. Acting as the keystone between key players at GMCA and Wigan Council, we coordinated a compelling funding submission that demonstrated the scheme’s transformational potential.
Town centre regeneration is a political priority across Greater Manchester, but delivery depends on making the numbers work. Cotton Works is designed to be the catalyst that unlocks wider investment in Wigan town centre. It demonstrates what’s possible when you align public sector ambition with private sector capability, creating places that actually work for local people. That’s what this funding achieves.
