Your council
Wigan: what’s happening where you live
What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council: Metropolitan district (unitary), England, North West; part of the GMCA combined authority. GOV.UK lists it as a unitary council.
Council website · Publication scheme
Do it online
- Household waste collection: Providing information
- Household waste collection: Reporting
- Bulky household waste collections: Applications for service
- Household garden waste: Providing information
- Recycling bags and containers: Providing information
- Flytipping: Reporting
- Road maintenance: Reporting
- Street lighting: Reporting
- Noise pollution: Reporting
- Council tax annual notification: Providing information
- Council tax annual notification: Collecting revenue
- Council tax discount: Applications for service
- Council tax benefit new claim: Applications for service
- Housing benefit new claim: Providing information
- Electoral register: Providing information
- Electoral register: Applications for service
- Primary school places: Applications for service
- Secondary school places: Applications for service
- Library facilities: Providing information
- Parking permits: Providing information
- Planning decision notices: Providing information
- Councillors directory: Providing information
- Complaints procedure: Providing information
Housing
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Transport
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Council tax
Band D set by Wigan for 2026–27: £1,712.29 of a £2,152.68 total bill in the area.
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Environment
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Education
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Changes to schools in this area recorded by the Department for Education Updated automatically
No school here is currently recorded as proposed to open or close.
In the last twelve months: 1 opened (1 academy converter), 2 closed (1 academy converter, 1 closure)
- Hindley Junior and Infant School (primary) — closed; reason recorded: academy converter, 30 April 2026
- Progress Schools Wigan — closed; reason recorded: closure, 17 July 2026
- Hindley Junior and Infant School (primary) — open; reason recorded: academy converter, 1 May 2026
What the council plans to spend, 2026–27
| Service | Budget |
|---|---|
| Education services | £362.6 million |
| Highways and transport services | £6.7 million |
| Children's social care | £94.4 million |
| Adult social care | £152.2 million |
| Public health | £35.2 million |
| Housing services (general fund only) | £10.9 million |
| Cultural and related services | £24.3 million |
| Environmental and regulatory services | £33.6 million |
| Planning and development services | £6.9 million |
| Police services | none budgeted |
| Fire and rescue services | none budgeted |
| Central services | £20.7 million |
| Other services | £2.0 million |
| Total service expenditure | £749.6 million |
Wigan in numbers
- Total population
- 344,922 people
- Median age
- 41 years
- Gross disposable household income per head
- £20,587
- Gross median weekly pay
- £607
- Children in relative poverty after housing costs
- 24.9%
- Claimant Count
- 3.5%
- Average house price
- £194,551
- Housing affordability ratio (residence-based)
- 5.3 affordability ratio
- Female healthy life expectancy
- 55.1 years
- Male healthy life expectancy
- 54.6 years
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- 3.3 tCO2e per capita
- Gigabit capable broadband
- 96.5%
- Public electric vehicle chargers
- 75.7 per 100,000 population
- Active businesses
- 10,265 number of enterprises
Who runs the council
75 seats in 2026. Run by: Labour, with a majority.
Councillors by party: Labour Party 42, Reform UK 25, Independent / Other 7, Independent Network 1.
Next scheduled council election: 6 May 2027.
All 75 councillors, by ward
- David Bowker (Reform UK) — Abram
- Martyn Smethurst (Labour Party) — Abram
- Nazia Rehman (Labour Party) — Abram
- Andrew Bullen (Labour Party) — Ashton-in-Makerfield South
- Danny Fletcher (Labour Party) — Ashton-in-Makerfield South
- Kathy Morrill-Ashford (Reform UK) — Ashton-in-Makerfield South
- Christopher Ready (Labour Party) — Aspull, New Springs & Whelley
- Joanne Meadows (Reform UK) — Aspull, New Springs & Whelley
- Laura Flynn (Labour Party) — Aspull, New Springs & Whelley
- Barry Taylor (Labour Party) — Astley
- Christine Roberts (Labour Party) — Astley
- Eileen Strathearn (Reform UK) — Astley
- Jamie Hodgkinson (Independent / Other) — Atherton North
- Paul Watson (Reform UK) — Atherton North
- Stuart Gerrard (Independent Network) — Atherton North
- John Harding (Labour Party) — Atherton South & Lilford
- Lee McStein (Labour Party) — Atherton South & Lilford
- Martin Farrimond (Reform UK) — Atherton South & Lilford
- Robert Kenyon (Reform UK) — Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North
- Scarlett Myler (Independent / Other) — Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North
- Steve Jones (Independent / Other) — Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North
- Mary Callaghan (Labour Party) — Douglas
- Matt Dawber (Labour Party) — Douglas
- Matthew Lambert (Reform UK) — Douglas
- Susan Frame (Reform UK) — Golborne & Lowton West
- Susan Gambles (Labour Party) — Golborne & Lowton West
- Yvonne Klieve (Labour Party) — Golborne & Lowton West
- James Talbot (Labour Party) — Hindley
- Paul Blay (Labour Party) — Hindley
- Paul Manniex (Reform UK) — Hindley
- Bob Brierley (Independent / Other) — Hindley Green
- James Palmer (Labour Party) — Hindley Green
- Liam Clarke (Reform UK) — Hindley Green
- Gemma Painter (Reform UK) — Ince
- Maureen O'Bern (Independent / Other) — Ince
- Tony Whyte (Independent / Other) — Ince
- Frederick Walker (Labour Party) — Leigh Central & Higher Folds
- Keith Cunliffe (Labour Party) — Leigh Central & Higher Folds
- Tina Kennedy (Reform UK) — Leigh Central & Higher Folds
- Charles Rigby (Labour Party) — Leigh South
- Kevin Anderson (Labour Party) — Leigh South
- Leon Peters (Reform UK) — Leigh South
- Dane Anderton (Labour Party) — Leigh West
- David Evans (Reform UK) — Leigh West
- Susan Greensmith (Labour Party) — Leigh West
- Jenny Gregory (Labour Party) — Lowton East
- Mike Smith (Labour Party) — Lowton East
- Simon Smith (Reform UK) — Lowton East
- Anne Collins (Labour Party) — Orrell
- Mark Tebbutt (Labour Party) — Orrell
- Paul Bannister (Reform UK) — Orrell
- Eileen Rigby (Labour Party) — Pemberton
- Jeanette Prescott (Labour Party) — Pemberton
- Simon Silcock (Reform UK) — Pemberton
- Lilian Rogers (Reform UK) — Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor
- Paul Collins (Labour Party) — Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor
- Vicky Galligan (Labour Party) — Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor
- Debbie Parkinson (Labour Party) — Standish with Langtree
- Michael Whalley (Reform UK) — Standish with Langtree
- Terry Mugan (Labour Party) — Standish with Langtree
- Adrian White (Reform UK) — Tyldesley & Mosley Common
- James Fish (Independent / Other) — Tyldesley & Mosley Common
- Joanne Marshall (Labour Party) — Tyldesley & Mosley Common
- Lawrence Hunt (Labour Party) — Wigan Central
- Lee Moffitt (Reform UK) — Wigan Central
- Michael McLoughlin (Labour Party) — Wigan Central
- Phyllis Cullen (Labour Party) — Wigan West
- Sam Ashton (Reform UK) — Wigan West
- Sheila Ramsdale (Labour Party) — Wigan West
- Clive Morgan (Labour Party) — Winstanley
- Paul Forbes (Reform UK) — Winstanley
- Paul Kenny (Labour Party) — Winstanley
- David Hurst (Labour Party) — Worsley Mesnes
- Keith Whalley (Reform UK) — Worsley Mesnes
- Paul Molyneux (Labour Party) — Worsley Mesnes