Concern over parking plans at new Horwich Health Hub

The Horwich Health Hub has been one of the town's most anticipated and debated developments since it was first proposed in 2016.

Demolishing the old leisure centre and car park to make way for the site on Church Street has since caused huge problems with parking, with concerns this could persist after the hub opens.

Bolton West MP Chris Green said: “There is a concern about car parking spaces funding.

“As I understand it, even if an agreement has been reached in principle, the council has still not agreed to the details of these car parking spaces.

An artist's impression of the finished Horwich Health Hub (Image: Bolton Council)

“And we know that the lack of car parking spaces has for years been a huge source of disruption locally.”

Work on the health hub started in August 2022 and when finished it will house  two GP surgeries.

There will also be several diagnostics suits, a pharmacy and specialist clinics for mental health and physiotherapy.

But Mr Green says that while works have been taking place, this has meant a severe lack of parking places in Horwich.

Funding has already been granted for half the new car park by developers Caddick, coming to around 100 spaces.

But Mr Green has warned that if funding is not granted for the second half of the new car park at the site, which he says has only been agreed “on principle” then problems could persist.

He said he would continue to campaign to make sure that the second half of the car park was fully funded by Bolton Council.

But Cllr David Grant, of Horwich South and Blackrod, says that funding has in fact already been agreed for the second half of the car park.

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He says that just before the last election an agreement was reached to suspend standing orders on the site and that the council had agreed to allow developers Caddick to continue the works.

In March this year, documents put before Bolton Council said that the highways department had agreed to £650,000 funding for the car park.

Cllr Grant said: “So that’s all ongoing and as far as I’m aware they’re going to continue with the same contractor.”

Work on the hub is expected to be complete this summer with the car park following by the end of the year.

A Bolton Council spokesperson said:  “Funding has been approved to provide car parking at the new Horwich Health Hub.

“The council is in discussion with the construction company responsible for the new health centre to agree the details and the funding required together with the timescales, car parking was always an important consideration.”