A FUNDING boost of £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) could see the borough's archives increasing and being exhibited.


The Wigan Archives and Local Studies project has been awarded the money to develop plans that, if approved, would see the creation of a new public search room, heritage exhibition space and expanded specialist storage rooms to protect the collection.


The plans also include a new café space in Leigh Town Hall, conservation facilities to catalogue and digitise collections and an exhibition space and community room on Market Street to host talks and workshops.


There would be more outreach and engagement activities too, helping the archives to both raise awareness of the borough’s history and to encourage people to donate records for preservation.


Cllr Paul Kenny, cabinet member for culture at Wigan Council, said: “We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support.


“The archives are vital to our understanding of Wigan Borough’s past as well as bringing history alive for residents and visitors alike.


“We now want to listen to residents and develop practical plans for the next stage of the project."


Containing historic records dating back 800 years and covering the borough’s entire history, the archives moved to Leigh Town Hall in 1974.


After four decades of collecting records, the archives storage is now at capacity.


The development support would allow the archives to produce a new vision for the look of the archives and the services delivered.