It is decades since the north-west of England was synonymous with the textile industry but survivors of this much-reduced sector believe two global trends can harness the region’s skills to deliver a fresh lease of life.

The first of these is the rise of China as an economic powerhouse, helping to spawn a big inward investment to create 1,000 jobs at a manufacturing park for Chinese textile and apparel companies. Wigan council is in advanced talks with a property company that plans to link up with Chinamex, a state-owned trading entity, to turn a 55-acre brownfield site into a base for Chinese textile companies to export throughout Europe.