Bolton: Plans lodged for town centre Newport Street flats

The proposals lodged just last week will, if approved, see a building on Newport Street converted to make way for four new self-contained flats.

Officers from the council’s highways engineering department have already confirmed they have no objections to the idea.

A council statement said: “Although there is no footway at the rear of the premises onto Back Cheapside only a kerbed margin, the level of pedestrian movement from the residential/retail will potentially be minimal and should be accommodated with little additional detriment or severity to road safety and amenity at that location.

Four new self contained flats have been proposed (Image: Neil Pike Architects)

“Owing to the premises town centre sustainable location, no reasonable objections on highway grounds to what is being proposed under this application.”

The new flats will be created in among the shops and other businesses that line Newport Street on the first and second floor of the building.

This will also involve creating an additional window and a new door to help people access the new flats.

Newport Street is found midway between the town hall and railway station with large branches of Morrisons and Tesco nearby.

The area is also served by several smaller, independent shops along with a post office and is a short walk away from Crompton Place shopping centre and from Bolton Central Library.

Newport Street, leading into Bolton town centre (Image: Google Maps)

Elsewhere across Bolton town centre, other developers have plans in motion to develop all kinds of sites.

These include plans by Capital & Centric to build over brownfield sites around Bradshawgate, while Moor Lane, Central Street and Bark Street have also been identified by developers as potential spaces for new housing.

Further afield, recent plans have been lodged for new estates in Farnworth, Darcy Lever and Harwood.

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The Newport Street plans were first put before the council on Friday, February 3 and will be open for neighbourhood consultations until Monday, February 27.

People living on nearby properties elsewhere in Newport Street and on nearby Bold Street will have the opportunity to put their views across as part of the process.

After the consultation period has passed the authority will then decide whether or not to approve the plan.