THE man in charge of regeneration in Bolton says major developers expressed interest in the borough during an international real estate event on the French Riviera.

Keith Davies, Bolton Council’s director of development and regeneration, shared the bill with celebrity physicist Professor Brian Cox and Manchester City Council chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein at the MIPIM 2013 showcase, billed as “the world’s premier real estate event” in Cannes.

Bolton Council attended as a member of the Manchester Partnership, which also includes Manchester City Council, Salford Council, development companies, Transport for Greater Manchester and private firms.

The cost for the council to attend was £7,000, a bill footed by property giant Bluemantle.

In his speech to assembled delegates, Mr Davies talked about Logistics North — a major planned development site at Cutacre.

He also spoke about the planned new £48 million transport interchange in Bolton town centre, funding options available such as Public Sector PLC — which could see council land, property and assets offered up for use with private sector cash to entice new business — and technological breakthroughs made by the University of Bolton.

He said: “Logistics North has the potential to be one of the most significant logistics and advanced manufacturing developments in the North of England and bring thousands of jobs to the area.

“There were quite a few developers interested and I’ll be talking to them again.

“A lot of people were interested in where we’re up to with various projects.”

He said: “I talked about the work done by the University of Bolton on things such as hybrid fibres and biomedical technology, and about the work around the new interchange.”

Mr Davies was followed later by physicist Professor Brian Cox, famed for his TV appearances and a lecturer at the University of Manchester, who was part of the same Greater Manchester delegation.

Mr Davies said: “He was very impressive and has a very good grasp of how the university sector in Greater Manchester can help with economic growth.”

Planning permission was granted in June last year for Harworth Estates, the property arm of UK Coal, to carry out restoration work at Cutacre, a former mine in Over Hulton, with a view to building a massive industrial and distribution complex.