A new restaurant could be built over car parking space at one Bolton’s busiest retail parks after plans were approved last week.

The proposal will see a new restaurant space created on the Linkway at Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, which is already the largest retail park in the UK, in a gap between four already existing units.  

This could mean that some of the parking spaces in the area are lost, but the planners have pledged to provided disabled spaces close by to the new restaurant.

A statement from developers Orbit Investments Ltd said: “The unit would be located on the deck level and thus car parking spaces are lost, however Middlebrook has several thousand existing spaces for customers.

“The same number of disabled spaces would be provided as currently exist and are provided in a row closest to the unit.”

The Bolton News:

The plan has been approved by Bolton Council

As well as a restaurant, the new space will include the new stairs and a lift as well as expansion of the existing terraced area.

The company says the space will also be easily accessible by bus services and has Horwich Parkway nearby.

The layout of the restaurant itself will depend on what the space’s eventual tenant decides on.

The plan was approved by Bolton Council last Thursday, but the authority has ruled that it must keep to certain conditions.

This includes making sure that fumes and noise are kept under control and making sure that there is enough car parking space for cars and other vehicles coming of the highway.

The council’s report agrees that the existing number of car parking spaces will be reduced but decided that there is enough parking in the wider retail park to support the development.

A statement from the highways department said: “The level of traffic impact associated with the proposed restaurant use-class will be minimal and a substantial element of this impact will be made up of linked trips at this location and trips that are already on the local highway network.

“Any increase will potentially be accommodated with little additional detriment/severity to road safety, amenity and operational capacity at that location.”