A NEW food and drinks complex is being developed in Deane.

The site of the car park for the former Stags Head pub on Junction Road has been sitting empty since the boozer’s closure in 2011.

The site is now being redeveloped to host multiple food and drinks outlets, with Bolton-based bakery Greenhalgh’s one such eatery to have submitted a planning application to trade out of one of the retail spaces.

The project was announced by The Bolton News in February 2020, with the originally estimated date for completion said to be June of the same year.

The proposal, which had to be scaled back since the plans were first revealed in July 2019, includes parking for 25 cars.

READ: Bolton pub car park set to be turned into retail development

Heaton and Lostock councillor Andy Morgan said: “We’re really excited for the development, especially as it’s in on of the most run-down areas of Heaton and Lostock.”

The pandemic has hampered the advancement of the project, but work has now resumed and there are visible signs of progress.

“It was delayed for a while but it’s here now. You can see it getting closer to completion every day and we should hopefully have traders moving in in the next few weeks.”

The Bolton News: The development was hampered by the pandemic The development was hampered by the pandemic

He confirmed that there will be some takeaway food vendors moving into the space and “hopefully restaurants.”

“My office is 200m up the road, so I’m looking forward to it,” he added.

One local resident said: “It looks like they're doing a great job with the new shops on the Stags Head Car Park.

“Stone features, brick walls, grey slated roof and even a dummy chimney, to keep in line with the conservation area.”

There is a church in close proximity to the site, and Cllr Morgan said that he has had assurances that everybody will be “good neighbours” when it comes to parking – particularly on Sundays.

“Hopefully it’ll be a plus, plus for everybody,” he said.

The Bolton News: The Stags Head in 2009The Stags Head in 2009

A bid to knock the former pub building down was rejected in 2014. Since then, it has since been redeveloped and now Willow Tree Day Nursey occupies the space.

In 2006, permission was granted to build eight townhouses in terraces at the site, but the development was not implemented.

The mid-19th century building is listed as a building of “special architectural or historic interest” within the Deane conservation area.