Farnworth: Metro Mayor Andy Burnham visits Farnworth Green

Andy Burnham stopped at the Farnworth Green site where the former market precinct buildings have recently been demolished.

The demolition phase is set to be completed by January 20 of next year.

As heavy-duty machinery worked at clearing rubble in the background, Mr Burnham and Bolton Council leader Cllr Martyn Cox were talked through the project designed by Tim Heatley, co-founder of the company in charge of the development, Capital&Centric.

Mr Burnham said: “I’m excited because I have a really close connection to this.

“When I was campaigning to be Mayor, I went to a pet shop that was somewhere in the middle of the old, concrete precinct and the owner was saying, ‘you’ve got to do something about this’.

(Right to left) Andy Burnham, Martyn Cox, Tim Heatley, Development director Scott Mallinson and project staff member (Image: Newsquest)

“A lot of the residents and shoppers were saying the same thing – ‘who is going to do something for Farnworth?’.

“It put in my mind the idea that we needed a town centre challenge.”

Mr Burnham, who served 16 years as an MP in Leigh, added: “There was a call that places like this were a bit neglected and Leigh would say exactly the same.

“But they’ve got potential, and they’ve got something which is a real advantage which is that proximity to an increasingly successful city region.

“What I can say to residents here in Farnworth is you’re going to be the first to benefit from the Bee Network. That’s coming in next year.

“Public transport here is about to get much better and if you put all of that together I think it says that Farnworth is on the move. It’s only heading in one direction and that’s upwards.”

READ MORE: Farnworth Green project officially underway

The Farnworth Green has been labelled as a key levelling up project.

It is backed by the Government’s Future High Street Fund, Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund, and Bolton Council’s District Centres Fund.

Mr Burnham agrees that the project is evidence of a levelling up agenda, but added: “Levelling up happens when you change the whole vision for a place.

“You can’t level up with one £20m grant for a leisure centre or one public hall or something. You’ve got to have a vision that opens up the place and this idea of Farnworth Green is doing exactly that.

“Farnworth in five years’ time I think will be thriving, I think it will be a fantastic place to live, I think it will have a great feel about it.”

The demolition is set to be complete by January 20, 2023 (Image: Newsquest)

Following Bolton Council nominating Farnworth as an ideal location for redevelopment, Mr Burnham says he saw the potential and contacted Mr Heatley to help get the ball rolling.

In 18-months’ time the project that will sprawl across 20,000 square feet of Farnworth town centre is due to be completed.

Mr Heatley says it’s a really exciting time.

“This is a culmination of a couple of years of hard work and collaboration between central government, local government, the Council, and private business as well. Those things are hard to do.

READ MORE: 'Game changing' redevelopment plan approved by Bolton Council

“It’s even more difficult when you’ve got soaring inflation and a cost-of-living crisis so to be able to be able to commence construction and get on with it and demonstrate our commitment to it collectively, not just as Capital&Centric, I think is a real achievement.”

Cllr Cox, who has lived and owned a business in Farnworth, says the town can now start to get excited about what’s coming its way.

He added: “It’s great the mayor  is here. You can see how enthusiastic he is about the project, as we all are.

“Anybody who’s from Farnworth or knows Farnworth knows how important this scheme is to the people of this town. They’ve been waiting an awful long time for it, and you can see with the excavators behind us that it’s finally starting.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at lewis.finney@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @lewisfinney18.