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Club Statement

Proposals to improve the health and wellbeing of Wigan borough by transforming Robin Park Arena, Robin Park Leisure Centre and Central Park with Wigan Warriors at the centre have moved one step closer.

The Wigan Club has agreed to enter into negotiations with Wigan Council to assess the feasibility of the club moving its Central Park operations to Robin Park arena.

Taking on the lease for the arena will not only save the council £241,000 a year in subsidy and maintenance costs, but will also increase the accessibility of the arena, while ensuring current users are unaffected.

If agreed the plans will see Central Park being further developed to incorporate a Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) school to address the growing demand for places in the borough as part of the Children’s Transformation Plan. The excellent Sport and Leisure facilities at Central Park will receive further investment and will still be available for the local community to access. Fur Clemt will remain on site and Wigan Warriors, the Council and Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles will proactively explore opportunities to work with more community groups to expand the offer.

The proposal will increase the use of the Robin Park arena which, under Wigan Warriors, will become a world class sports and community leisure facility.

Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles, who currently occupy the arena, will relocate all its leisure, health and fitness services to the sports center which will undergo a major transformation, featuring a bigger and better gymnastics facility, the latest in gym technology and cloud based wellness systems and a brand new indoor cycling studio.

Ian Lenagan, chairman of Wigan Warriors, said: “We are delighted to be working with Wigan Council and Inspiring Health Lifestyles to explore opportunities to develop both Robin Park and Central Park. We have developed a strong partnership over the last 6 years which has led to some creative thinking on how to further improve availability of sport, community leisure and education facilities based around the Wigan Warriors brand. This move is progressive and builds upon the strong foundations that have been developed at the Central Park facility. These proposals support our new club strategy and will significantly enhance our Youth, Sport, Education and Community offers based at Robin Park.”

Councillor Jim Moodie, lead member for leisure and public health at Wigan Council, said: “As part of The Deal for Health and Wellness, Wigan Council committed to providing more opportunities to help residents get active and healthy in their local communities”

“Research shows that removing the physical barriers to exercise can have massive benefits to the NHS by preventing people getting ill later on in life. These proposals support that ambition and will help us ensure our residents are able to lead long and healthy lives.”


http://www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2017- ... 4AIkqIj.99

A proactive and commendable move. One thing about IFL is that he is always thinking ahead and trying to keep the club in pole position.

josie andrews wrote:Well it's hopeless for the Academy games! You can't see anything as the seating area is too far away! ????

Not just me then Josie,

Me too. The stand isn't high enough to give a good view of the pitch, even from the back row, and having the track between the stand and pitch means you are too far away from the action.

Build new stands over the track

Track will have to stay for Wigan Harriers as current users will still be allowed use of the facility.

Not for long

Warrior Gilfedder wrote:Not for long

I know all local councils are strapped for cash (to put it mildly) but I can't see Wigan council agreeing to a deal that will allow Wigan RL to kick out other users even if it does save the council £241K a year.

Any lease or outright purchase would surely be subject to legally binding covenants about its future use.

DaveO wrote:

Warrior Gilfedder wrote:Not for long

I know all local councils are strapped for cash (to put it mildly) but I can't see Wigan council agreeing to a deal that will allow Wigan RL to kick out other users even if it does save the council £241K a year.

Any lease or outright purchase would surely be subject to legally binding covenants about its future use.

You obviously don't know Wigan council from first hand experience

Set to go to one bin collection per three weeks in the name of "recycling". Strange as it will save the council more on bin collection than any increase (or not) for recycling that might occur inbetween the influx of maggots/vermin/flies that will infest the town- and I am not talking about opposition supporters either

I don't blame the council for that. Surely the vermin-attracting green bin collections have not been decreased, only the non-bio stuff? It's a relatively painless way of saving money. We are where we are.