Vision and Objectives

As a Neighbourhood Forum we aim to work together to make the ward an even better place to live for jobs, amenities and services, health and wellbeing and community spirit. We want to encourage the five villages to work together to make a positive difference to the ward overall. We acknowledge the distinguishing characteristics and historic roots of each of the five villages and want to build on and enhance these, as part of our offer and approach to attracting new residents. We aim for Abram Ward to be a vibrant, creative, inclusive and safe neighbourhood, which supports a strong sense of community, and is a pleasant and attractive place to live, work, shop and spend leisure time.

For our neighbourhood to be a great place to live and work, with the environment at its heart – making it attractive, resilient, ambitious, thriving and sustainable.

Vision Alignment with Policy

The ACT Plan vision is closely aligned with GMSF’s Sustainable Places policy, which states that Greater Manchester aims ‘to become one of the most liveable city regions in the world, consisting of a series of beautiful, healthy and varied places’.

All development wherever appropriate should be distinctive with a clear identity, visually stimulating and imaginative, socially inclusive, resilient, adaptable, durable, resource efficient, safe, functional and convenient, legible (easy to understand and navigate around), easy to move around for all, well-connected, comfortable, incorporating high quality and well-managed green infrastructure, and well-served by local shops.

The Abram Ward Neighbourhood Plan aims for the Abram Ward to develop into a highly liveable area within the Wigan Borough; in other words, a great place to live and work, with the environment at its heart.

Objectives

Three key objectives have been set out to help deliver the vision:

Objective 1: Environment, Health and Wellbeing

To enhance and protect our internationally significant landscapes and green spaces

Abram Ward is home to some beautiful, biodiverse habitats and countryside which need ongoing protection and enhancement. We want local people within the Abram Ward, across the Wigan Borough and regionally to be able to appreciate and enjoy these internationally significant landscapes, green and open spaces, through improved access and providing learning opportunities and outdoor leisure opportunities. We aim to support community and local businesses to find the productive potential of some of these green spaces.

Objective 2: To create local employment opportunities

Supporting the development of local community businesses and encouraging local and regional tourism

We aim for Abram Ward to be an ambitious, innovative and prosperous neighbourhood, where current and new residents can find fulfilling and varied employment opportunities. We are keen to attract new residents, businesses and visitors into the area. We actively support the development of new local and community businesses, along with the provision of appropriate premises and work-places in our neighbourhood. We aim to encourage local and regional tourism, and ‘green’ business opportunities which will make the most of our landscapes and green spaces.

Objective 3: Housing and Planning

To provide affordable, energy efficient, high-quality homes for our communities of all ages

We aim for our neighbourhood to provide homes for families, couples and single people of all ages and backgrounds, these homes will include small and large properties: apartments, houses and bungalows. We also aim for homes in Abram Ward to have a mix of tenures, from social housing, affordable rented homes and affordable homes to buy, as well as larger homes to rent or buy. It is essential that new homes are built to high-quality standards with environmental sustainability and energy efficiency at the forefront. This is in agreement with the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA)