£1 Billion Plan To Reinvigorate Bolton

£1 Billion Plan To Reinvigorate Bolton

An area of Bolton is soon to see a lot of construction scaffolding going into place when plans for a huge makeover to the town centre are put into action.

According to the Construction Enquirer, Bolton council have unveiled a master plan to regenerate the town, which will cost around £1 billion when all is said and done. The council has borrowed £100 million to get the project underway, and will be looking to private investment for the rest of the money required.

The plan will see 1,800 new homes built, and also create 7,400 new jobs. It will also generate economic activity in the area worth £412m over five sites across the town.

Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Cliff Morris, said that the borrowed money will be used to get sites development ready so work across the gives sites can take place fast: “We now want to get to work as quickly as possible. We are already speaking to a number of developers and partners about delivering the different schemes outlined in the framework. Although it is ambitious we are confident that this is an achievable vision that identifies key areas of the town centre, and it will be a game-changer in terms of transforming the centre of Bolton.”

For construction firms in the area, this is sure to be good news, bringing new work opportunities for projects both large and small.

Let’s look, for example, at the plans for the Trinity Quarter – currently a space with both derelict buildings and commercial buildings in use. The plan for this area is to restore many of these buildings, while erecting new ones on brownfield land sites, as well as pedestrianising the space. This area is planned to be a residential development which also has Grade A office space.

Cheadle Square, the former bus station site, is being looked at for residential spaces for students, as well as multi-use spaces to help complement the cultural buildings such as the Octagon, Museum and Library already in the area.

If you know Crompton Place, you’ll know it’s a space in much need of a facelift, so the construction scaffolding will be out in great quantities to replace the outer facade of the buildings there, and rework the space where the former BHS store still stands empty.

Church Wharf is another planned residential ‘quarter’ with town houses and apartments planned, all with great proximity to the town centre.

The last of these five strategic areas is Croal Valley – opening up the river Croal and making the space more enjoyable for everyone. However, it may not just be a makeover of the waterfront, but also new flats and apartments looking over the river, as well as ‘pocket parks’ along the routes which follow the river.

The Council, though excited, are keen to ensure that funding is robust for all of the plans before commencing, but hope that in the long run, the town will become a more attractive option for new residents, including those who work in Manchester and may be able to commute by the town’s great transport links.