A £1.5 MILLION eco-friendly hospice building has been created — thanks to two Bolton firms.

Horwich-based Ellenby Construction and char-tered quantity surveyors C & J Associates, of Lower Bridgeman Street, Bolton, were tasked with creating the Woodview Centre, a two-storey development at Wigan and Leigh Hospice.

Workers began building the centre, which was designed by Chorley-based architects JGR, in April last year.

The centre was officially handed over on May 8 and was opened to the public on Tuesday.

Ellenby Construction carried out the building work on site, while C & J Associates were employed as project managers for the development.

Terry Molyneux, project manager of CJ & Associates, said: “It has been a very enjoyable project.

“Wigan and Leigh Hospice are great clients to work for and it’s great to be involved with something other than commercial work.

“The centre looks very impressive.

“It blends in very well with the existing hospice and it is built to stand the test of time.”

Simon Baker, contract director at Ellenby Construction, said: “We are delighted with the end result — the centre looks fantastic.

“This has been a great project. It has been a privilege to work for such a nice client on such a prestigious developm-ent.”

Hospice chief executive, Dr Alan Baron, added: “This is an outstanding modern facility which will enable us to significantly increase the number of people we care for within Wigan and Leigh.

“Part of our mission is to extend our specialist care throughout the community and the Woodview Centre is a huge step forward in helping us do this.”

The centre will feature three state-of-the-art therapy rooms, two counselling rooms, new outpatient clinics and a social space for patients, which includes a pond at the rear of the centre to enjoy.

It will house the Hospice In Your Home team and Hospice Nurse Specialists — both of which provide specialist care and support for people living with life-limiting illnes-ses.

The official opening will be performed by a special guest in June.