First new Greater Manchester railway station for 25 years a step closer

The first new train station in Greater Manchester for 25 years looks a step closer with the city region’s combined authority (GMCA) poised to compulsorily buy land for its £32m development at Golborne in Wigan. GMCA wants to buy land where four residential properties, two primary schools and a commercial property currently sit in order to site the new station off Railway Road.

A report to the authority, which meets next week (Friday, September 27), is recommending the submission of a planning application for the scheme alongside the preparation of a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the required land.

The report does not identify specifically which properties will be affected by any CPO. But it adds: “The use of CPO must be as a last resort. An acquiring authority must be able to demonstrate that they have done all they can to acquire the land by negotiation.”

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And it says ‘discussions with affected landowners are progressing well’. “Face to face engagement was undertaken with affected property owners in December 2023 and ongoing dialogue has continued to ensure they remain engaged and informed about the project,” the report said.

The report goes on: “A new station for Greater Manchester in Golborne presents an opportunity to create new local connectivity and give people an easier choice to catch a train rather than rely on a car; this is particularly important for the quarter of households in Greater Manchester without any access to a private vehicle.”

It said the new station will help Golborne and surrounding communities and make them better places to live. Nearly 3,000 people responded to the