A new era for Wigan Borough: from The Deal to Progress with Unity

The Wigan Deal is one of the most recognised and celebrated approaches to reform in local government and public service of the past two decades. In 2012, The Deal was a radical response to austerity which aimed to rethink the relationship between the Council and local residents. It has helped Wigan Council transform its culture and ways of working to improve support for local people.

As in other places across the country, new and unprecedented challenges emerged in Wigan Borough in recent years. It became clear that the Council needed to refresh its strategy to adapt to changing circumstances.

In 2023–24, Collaborate worked alongside IPPR North to support Wigan Council to review The Deal, explore what a “new era” could look like and build momentum for collaborative change across the borough. The engagement process was about holding on to strengths developed through The Deal, while also identifying where the Council and partners needed to work differently and go further.

This work led to the creation of Progress with Unity, Wigan’s new ten-year strategy focused on addressing inequalities and supporting thriving neighbourhoods.

In February 2025, we partnered with Wigan Council to publish a report
capturing Wigan borough’s journey and learning to date. The aim is to contribute to building the wider movement for more person-centred, collaborative public services which takes bold approaches to improving outcomes and tackling inequality in local places.

We launched the report, and shared the learning, at our joint event with partners from across Wigan borough in February 2025. Watch the recording and download the full report below.

Read the full report: A New Era for Wigan Borough