£1 million revamp of Knowsley Street and Oxford Street next on Bolton Council's redevelopment agenda

Work to make Knowsley Street and Oxford Street more attractive for shoppers is expected to begin later this year.

The proposals, which are expected to be formally approved on Monday, include outdoor seating for the Market Place Shopping Centre and the repaving of both streets.

A Bolton Council report into the scheme says that disruption will be 'kept to a minimum' and that all traders will still have access to their business during the works.

Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Cliff Morris, said: "We have a clear strategy to improve the main thoroughfares in Bolton town centre. We know that good public spaces attract further investment leading to wider regeneration.

“Newport Street and Great Moor Street are looking much better now and these proposals for Knowsley Street and Oxford Street will further enhance the town centre.

“We want to make the walkways and public spaces more attractive as part of our continued investment to improve the centre of our town for the benefit of the borough as a whole."

The £995,000 redevelopment project will follow an ongoing scheme in Newport Street, which has included the installation of new paving, seating, street lights and shopfronts.

Newport Street, Oxford Street, and Knowsley Street form part of a more concentrated retail area that the council wants to develop through its recently revealed £1 billion town centre masterplan.

The council report adds: "Significant progress has been made in rolling out public realm improvements across the town centre since that time and Knowsley Street remains one of the areas that have yet to see an upgrade in the public realm.

"Major investment has continued in the town centre such that Knowsley Street is now one of the priority areas for the next phases of improvement.

"In order to create a strong link through to the public realm investment at Newport Street, works are also required on Oxford Street.

"The proposals will also create added value to the significant investment made in the Market Place with space for units to have outdoor seating, and take account of changes in bus movements due to the opening of the new transport Interchange generating economic benefit to the whole town centre."

It is expected that the improvements in Knowsley Street will be completed in summer 2018, but there are no finalised timescales for the Oxford Street work.

The project will also include the creation a small number of short-stay on-street parking bays, a new loading bay to serve the Market Place, the replacement of phone kiosks, additional cycle stands, and trees to replace those that will be removed.