Housing Need
Understanding the housing need in Wigan Borough and how North Leigh Park can help meet local demand.
0
Homes needed
per year (Government method)
0
Current target
per year (Local Plan)
0
On housing register
in Wigan Borough
0
Affordable homes
to be delivered
The Government's standard method for assessing housing need shows that Wigan Borough requires around 1,452 new homes each year, compared with the Council's current Local Plan target of 972 homes per year.
North Leigh Park is a key site identified by Wigan Council for new homes in its draft Local Plan. The Council has concluded that this location is suitable for growth and needed to help meet local housing demand.
For every available property:
11 households are waiting
This scheme will deliver significant affordable housing for local people in a borough where demand far outstrips supply. There are currently around 12,000 customers on the housing registerin Wigan Borough, with roughly 6,000 actively bidding for homes.
Only around 1,075 council properties became vacant in the year to January 2025, highlighting how stretched supply is compared with need.
That imbalance means many households are waiting a long time for a home that meets their needs. This development will deliver at least 700 affordable homes, helping to ease pressure on the register and providing more opportunities for local families.
The site plays an important role in helping Wigan meet its obligations under Places for Everyone, the Greater Manchester plan that sets out how many new homes each borough needs to deliver.
Without development at North Leigh Park, it would be significantly harder for the Council to meet these requirements. By bringing forward new homes on this site, Wigan can help ensure that local people have the opportunity to continue living and working in the borough.
Our proposals will provide at least 50% of all homes as affordable housing — approximately 700 homes for local families.
This includes:
Social rent
Homes let at social rent levels, typically the most affordable option
Affordable rent
Homes let at up to 80% of market rent
Shared ownership
Buy a share and pay rent on the remainder
First Homes
Discounted market sale homes for first-time buyers