A CO-ORDINATOR is to be appointed to oversee the development of Bolton's multi-million pound Cultural Quarter.

Council bosses made the decision to create the new role, which carries a salary of £35,000, after coming under fire for spending too much money on consultants.

Until now, the cultural quarter project, centred around Le Mans Crescent, has been managed on behalf of the council by MACE Consultancy.

They have now been taken off the job. The new post will run for an initial three years but could be extended according to a report approved by Cllr Ebrahim Adia, the council's executive member for development.

The successful applicant would be charged with producing a development brief by late summer.

The Cultural Quarter, which will be centred in Le Mans Crescent, will include a knowledge centre for emerging science and IT firms, with the creation of a research centre for textile students another possibility as part of an expanded museum and art gallery.

There could also be cafes, bars and a small number of homes.

It is also hoped there will be an arts and crafts centre, despite it being denied lottery funding.

Cllr Adia said: "The Cultural Quarter is a significant piece in the jigsaw of regenerating the town centre.

"The person appointed will produce a development brief and play an important role in pulling together all the partners involved in the development.

"One way of reducing consultancy costs is to build capacity within the council to carry out these kind of jobs."

The post will now be advertised subject to approval tomorrow by Cllr Adia's colleague Cllr Frank White, the executive member for human resources.

They would also bring developers on board and hold talks with Bolton University, whose students may share a new public library as part of the scheme.

Keith Davies, the council's director of regeneration and development, said the salary would be good value for money.

Mr Davies said the Cultural Quarter would play a major part in persuading developers to invest around £300 million in the town centre over the next ten years, creating more than 4,000 new jobs.

The courts complex will move to the site of the former Water Place swimming centre off Trinity Street, while the former police headquarters will be turned into offices.

The Bolton News revealed last month that Bolton Council spent racked up a £7 million consultancy bill for the period April 2003-October 2006.