Cityheart, working in partnership with its client, Wigan Council, has secured a £2.6m funding grant from the Heat Networks Investment Project (‘HNIP’) to put towards a bespoke energy solution – the first of its kind in the country – as part of the £135 million Galleries redevelopment in Wigan town centre.
The Galleries redevelopment project will include a new basement and energy centre, which will help serve the proposed development set to comprise 464 new homes across seven new residential towers; a new 140-bedroom hotel; cinema, and a market hall building with a food court. A new pavilion building with a bar and restaurant will also be built alongside these, including a retirement living unit as well as an associated public realm and new square for event hosting. The entire scheme will be underpinned by ambient heating loops now made possible by the HNIP grant.
The new development will utilise a mix of technologies but at its core will be Ground Source Heat Pumps, which are expected to deliver over 2,500 tonnes of carbon emission savings per year, replacing current outdated and energy consuming systems. The system will transfer heat from the ground in order to heat these new buildings and provide a consistent supply of hot water.
Warren Taylor, Director of Cityheart, comments on the successful bid: “This complex, innovative energy network is one of the first of its kind to be implemented on this scale in the country and crucially, it provides both Wigan Council and the local borough with its critical first step on the road to becoming a sustainable, carbon neutral town. Together with our professional team, we have designed a bespoke energy solution that will provide the Galleries site with a private wire network and ambient heat loop to self-generate and distribute heat and power, paving the way to the de-carbonisation of the completed development. By creating this future proof solution for the scheme, we are helping Wigan Council achieve its decarbonisation targets and most importantly, dramatically reducing energy costs for our tenants.”
Councillor David Molyneaux MBE, leader of Wigan Council, adds: “In July 2019, Wigan Council launched its Climate Change Strategy, demonstrating our commitment to building a greener and more sustainable borough. The Galleries redevelopment has been designed with these principles at its heart and this funding will help us to realise these ambitions while reducing the environmental impact.”
This grant was one of the last to be awarded before the scheme closed. It has now been replaced with the Green Heat Network Fund (‘GHNF’).
