Bolton Council has struck a £250m deal with investors to transform Crompton Place - one of the five "intervention sites" that make up its town centre masterplan.
Here we take a look at the four other sites, based on an update assistant director of place Philip Green gave to councillors this week.
READ MORE: Mega money plans for Bolton town centre are just the start
CHEADLE SQUARE
THIS site includes all the land behind Le Mans Crescent, including the former Moor Lane bus station.
Bolton Council assistant director of place, Philip Green says that Midia and BCEGI are “clearly very interested” in this site, which includes a “big chunk of council land” which could be “brought to the market very quickly”. However the heritage of the area means a “very sensitive” approach to development will be needed.
The site could host up to 300 houses which will be designed to attract “a mixed of demographics” including families and older people.
The frontage along Deansgate is also earmarked to create a “fantastic new opportunity for small businesses attracted to the BL1 post code”.
A planning application for the former bus station site is expected next year, while investors are also in discussions over the former Odeon site.
TRINITY QUARTER
A LARGE area including Bradshawgate, land off Trinity Street and the former Merchant’s Quarter.
There are three elements to the zone — a commercial area near to the transport interchange, “mixed-use” in the middle of the site and, towards the edges, a residential development.
The council owns strategic sites within the “Trinity Gateway” area including Saville Mill, Breightmet Street and Clive Street.
But it currently has less control over privately-owned sites in the middle of the zone.
There are plans for NCP to begin work on a new multi-storey car park of up to 400 spaces at the Trinity Gateway site at the corner of Bradshawgate and Trinity Street. A planning application is expected “very soon”.
This area will also have two “grade A” office spaces covering 40,000 sq ft and a new hotel for about 80 beds.
On the opposite side of Bradshawgate, an investor is understood to be showing an interest in the former BMW site.
Philip Green said: “It’s good to see the council investment is starting to trigger the private sector investment we expected to see. The BMW site is long overdue investment.”
There is also the potential to increase the number of people living in the area by as many as 1,200, with the Breightmet Street area described by Mr Green as a “fantastic opportunity for new housing”.
CROAL VALLEY
THIS is a collection of sites to the North West of the town formerly known as St Helena which extends to Queens Park.
Some are owned by council, some in private ownership.
There are two council-owned sites within the area, Central Street and Pool Street. Working is ongoing to to bring Pool Street to the market, while bosses are in discussions with developer over Central Street.
Central Street will include 130 homes in its residential zone, and there is a commercial element potentially consisting of offices, a children’s nursery and ground floor retail space.
It requires an investment of £70m investment and Pool Street, which will have 100 homes, needs £20m.
Philip Green said: “The River Croal runs right through the middle of this area so it’s a fantastic opportunity to open up the river, get access down by the river through to Queen’s Park in a way that it isn’t currently available or safe to do.
It is hoped that a planning application for Central Street’s residential area will be made by the end of the year and Pool Street in the new year, and that the developments will be completed by the end of 2020.
Central Street commercial development is expected to take the council into 2021.
CHURCH WHARF
MUSE was confirmed in March as the key developer for this site — bounded by St Peter’s Way, the River Croal, Manor Street, Bank Street and Folds Road, while award winning-architects Morgan Sindall are also on board.
The £200m-£250m investment area is expected to bring between 400 and 500 new homes to the area with a “significant number of residents living in that part of the town centre”.
Philip Green said: “Our masterplan principles are very much about transforming Church Wharf, there’s a real need to create a new sense of place in this key area, to remediate it and to create a new environment, and possibly a significant amount of demolition alongside that.
“The Big attraction for Church Wharf for investors is the river. They love the river site adjacent to the church and the architect is already starting to think about what that will look like.”
He added that the council already owns “quite a big chunk of land” on this site and was working to acquire the remainder.
Having to use the authority’s compulsory purchase powers could cause a delay to the scheme. But chiefs hope a planning application could be submitted “very early in the new year” and the first phases could potentially be completed by 2021.
The corporate resources and external issues scrutiny committee were also told that negotiations to acquire properties in the Church Wharf site were continuing and it was hoped the use of compulsory purchase powers could be avoided.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel