The leadership and the opposition of Bolton Council put politics to one side to sell the £1 billion Bolton Town Centre Masterplan.

This masterplan, announced almost six years ago, involved a commitment of £100 million from council resources towards purchasing and preparing land in several so-called intervention areas, and towards a number of separate schemes across the town centre.

The rest of the £1 billion needs to come from other resources, including government grants and investors from the private sector.

An event at Albert Halls on March 2 brought these investors from the private sector together for Bolton Council to sell its vision to them.

READ MORE: Bolton Masterplan: Construction starts on homes off Deansgate.

Bolton Town Centre Masterplan: What is happening now and in the future

Martyn Cox, the leader of the authority, said: "This can't be all about the council. The council does many, many things and the regeneration is one of them. 

"You have the entrepreneurial spirit to take the regeneration to the next level."

The Bolton News:

With an all-out election in around two months, there was an acceptance by those in attendance Bolton Council could change leadership.

Nick Peel, the leader of the opposition, said the authority would put 'Bolton First, Politics Second' regardless of the outcome on May 4.

READ MORE: Bolton Council spent tens of thousands on Levelling Up bids.

The Bolton News:

Cllr Peel said: "Of all the things Cllr Cox and I do disagree on, the importance of regeneration is one of the areas we do not disagree on."

The speeches by Cllr Peel and Cllr Cox as well as chief executive Sue Johnson, led to panels of those with a stake in the town centre and its surroundings.

They included representatives from Capital & Centric, Peel L&P, Emerson Group and Step Places, responsible for schemes from Farnworth Green and Hulton Park to Middlebrook Retail and Moor Lane.

Although these schemes and several others are now in progress, the spotlight was on the number of opportunities still available.

A booklet circulated to those in attendance contained a range of sites from car parks to the ex-magistrates' court earmarked for a high-end hotel until the loss of a Levelling Up bid at the start of the year.

Summarising the aspirations of Bolton Council the chief executive Ms Johnson said: "I love the phrase 'aspirational realism'. We've got our feet on the ground, but we're never afraid to look up to the stars."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.