The neighbouring Greater Manchester towns heading in different directions

As the sun shines down on the village centre, it doesn't take long to spot a luxury car. A Porsche, a Bentley and multiple Range Rovers can be seen on the road outside independent shops, bars and a bustling deli.

But this isn't Didsbury or Alderley Edge. This is Standish - four miles north of Wigan town centre.

The village shares the same borough council and the same MP as its bigger neighbour, but on the streets, there's a perception the two places are heading in different directions. Lilian Borrows, 62, clutches her groceries after leaving the J. McRobb delicatessen.

READ MORE: The Greater Manchester General Election 2024 Survey

"It's a busy place," she says of Standish. "It's becoming more of a town than a village. The explosion of all the new developments has brought good things and bad things to the area.

"The traffic isn't great... the parking is a struggle. But it's brought a vibrancy - new businesses, places to go, shops, independent traders. I can't grumble about that."

Politically, Standish is a mixed bag. The village currently has two Labour councillors and one Conservative on Wigan council. Independents have previously represented the area.

But when voters head to the polls for the general election on July 6, Standish residents find themselves as part of a Labour stronghold. The Wigan constituency has had a Labour MP since 1918.

While the neighbouring Leigh seat turned Tory in the 2019 election, Lisa Nandy retained the Wigan seat for Labour with a majority of almost 15 per cent above her Conservative rival. Reflecting on the choice facing her next month, Lilian says: "It's difficult because it's such a Labour stronghold.

"Regardless of your political views, it would take a huge swing to make a possible change. But you have got to cast your vote."

She believes the options facing the country in this election are 'much of a muchness', adding: "We can always say more money needs to be spent on the important things like the NHS and education, but where is that money going to come from? It's going to be taxpayers that work hard."

Major housing developers have been busy across Standish in recent years. Hundreds of new homes have popped up in new estates, built off the two major roads which cross the village.

There is plenty to attract new residents - with cafes, pubs and two supermarkets among the businesses which mean locals can keep their pounds spent in Standish. "I think it's an excellent place to live," says Eddie Derbyshire, 89, who has lived in the village with his wife for 'many years'.

"The only thing we are short of is a men's outfitters. The food outlets - there are too many, I don't know how they all keep going."

Eddie is a carer for his wife, and says his recent experiences with the NHS have been 'excellent'. While the country has faced growing waiting lists in recent years, his own experiences have been different. But the Conservative voter says he won't be voting for the governing party this time around.

In fact, he won't be voting at all. "It's an apathy which shouldn't be there," he says. "But it's one of those things.

"I will follow it with interest on the TV and it's going to be interesting, no doubt about it. I think Labour have got a very good chance, but I don't think [Sir Keir] Starmer will be an excellent Prime Minister."

With Standish's population growing in recent years, there are some issues which are repeated by locals. By the time of the school run, the crossroads at the heart of Standish grinds to a halt.

Locals say traffic gridlock is a daily issue. Standish resident Graham, 62, is making his way to the Copper Vines bar with pal Alan, 56, who is visiting from nearby Skelmersdale.

"It's supposed to be a village but it's just like a city," Graham tells the M.E.N. "Other than that, it's a nice place to live... there's a lot of money in Standish, but I've not got any.

"They've been calling for a bypass for years here, for many years. The councillors have said the same thing. But there's just not enough money going for it."

It's not just the increase in traffic that concerns people in Standish either. Michelle Robinson, 54, says the village's NHS facilities are stretched to the limit.

"I don't mind things building, but I think we need a stop to any more houses because it's taking over the countryside," she says. "We've only got one doctors and one dentist, which is ridiculous. You can't get in at the doctors half the time."

Michelle's vote has switched between Labour and the Conservatives over the years, depending on what each party is offering. She's unsure about what needs to happen in the country 'after Covid and everything', although she does want to see the 'ridiculous' state of the roads improve after recently changing three tyres due to potholes.

If there's a sense that Standish is on the up, it doesn't seem to be shared down the road in Wigan town centre. As workers rush out for their lunch and friends catch up in the street, Wallgate is alive in the heart of town.

Yet there is dismay among many people over the town centre's current state. There is a gap in the street where The Galleries shopping centre once stood, recently being demolished as part of £135m project that will see new leisure facilities - including a cinema, bowling alley and hotel - built in its place.

Across the road, the Grand Arcade welcomes a flurry of shoppers, but the site has lost a number of big names since opening in 2007 - including Debenhams, BHS and Marks and Spencer. Roy Tither, 86, tells the M.E.N. he has 'just been to Bolton' shopping.

"I don't go to Wigan if I can help it," he adds. "To me, they've wrecked Wigan. It's certainly gone downhill."

Roy describes himself as a Labour voter - although not in the Wigan Council elections. He's still uncertain ahead of the July 6 vote, but believes there has been decline under the Conservatives.

He has concerns about the way both the privatised railways and water industry are run, particularly with the issue of pollution being pumped into rivers, while the cost of living is also a major worry. "To me as a pensioner, it's got worse," says Roy.

"Energy prices, food prices. I don't know how to make it right but they should be making it right. I'm very disappointed."

Shannon Jade, 23, pushes her young daughter's pram while walking with her friend Megan. The cost of living has bitten many in Wigan over recent years - and both Shannon and Megan have struggled with it.

"It's stressful," says Shannon. "I don't get much help, but it is what it is. You've got to do what you've got to do... I was working for years and then I had to stop to look after my child every day."

Her pal Megan echoes her concerns. "I work for the NHS, I've got two jobs," she says. "Everything is going up in price. "I never have any spare money for myself."

Like others in town, Shannon and Megan have concerns about the direction Wigan is heading in. They insist there is 'nowhere for people to socialise'.

"Shops are shutting, it's a ghost town to me now Wigan," Megan adds. "There's nothing here anymore, you're getting homeless people on the streets because there's nowhere to go."

Despite their concerns, both Shannon and Megan insist they won't be voting in next month's election, as they 'don't understand it'. Others with concerns in the town will be using their vote though.

Mum-of-two Sheryl Lowe, 58, voted Conservative in 2019 but will be switching to Labour this time. She says it has been a struggle to make ends meet over the past two years - and other families are sharing that pain.

Rising energy bills, petrol prices, school uniform costs and expenses during school holidays have all been causes for concern. But Sheryl is also worried about an increase in crime - insisting she does not feel as safe as before.

"All they want you to do is report it to the police and get a crime number," she says. "But they are not coming out and looking at CCTV and trying to catch them.

"Crime is the main thing. Going out on your own at night, you don't feel safe... I've never known it as bad."

Walking her Bedlington whippet Norris along Wallgate, 37-year-old Kay Moorhouse is also hoping for a brighter future - although she is uncertain which way she will vote. "I think we need the Tories out," she says.

"I think we need a change. I normally vote Labour, but I don't know who to vote for at the moment. I don't know if Keir Starmer is strong enough to be honest, he's a bit of a pushover when it comes to certain subjects."

Kay believes Wigan is 'run down' and wants to see towns like it receive funding to improve things. But she is deeply concerned about the social issues that affect some of the most vulnerable people in the community.

Her wife is a health visitor who sees families living in difficult circumstances. "She sees people that have nothing," Kay says.

"It's upsetting for her when she comes home and there are parents that are struggling to feed their kids. We've got a few community centres set up in Wigan now, and I think we need that."

The NHS is also close to Kay's heart. She says her nana, aged 82, recently spent 16 hours waiting at A&E.

The situation at Wigan Infirmary is also a major worry for Stuart Shaw. The 80-year-old tells the M.E.N. he has plenty to get off his chest before describing his concerns, before adding: "I'm totally p***** off with this place and I've lived here forever."

He says: "The hospital up there is an absolute disgrace. It wants knocking down and building a new one, a bigger one in a different place, but they're not going to do that.

"I think the NHS has gone to the dogs. I'm very lucky because my doctor, she's great. But at Wigan Infirmary, I bet you could go in there now and there would be 100 people in casualty waiting.... these people can't get an appointment with their doctor."

Like others in Wigan - and at odds with the excitement that those in Standish feel about their high street - he also has concerns about the town centre. He questions why a new cinema would be built 'when nobody goes there anymore'.

Looking ahead to the election, Stuart insists he prefers Rishi Sunak to Sir Keir Starmer, but says he lives in a 'Labour controlled town'. A change in MP would certainly send seismic shockwaves across Wigan and Standish - and would fly in the face of expectations going into July 6.

Wigan constituency candidates for the 2024 general election:

• Brian Crombie-Fisher (Liberal Democrats)

• Jan Cunliffe (Independent)

• Andy Dawber (Reform UK)

• Jane Leicester (Green)

• Henry Mitson (Conservative)

• Lisa Nandy (Labour)

• Maureen O'Bern (Independent)

• The Zok (Independent)