A major town centre space could have “been boarded up for two years” if a deal with Marks and Spencer had not been reached.

This comes with the redevelopment works at Crompton Place expected to get in motion by the end of this year.

Bolton Council leader Cllr Nick Peel said that the authority’s decision to negotiate a lease surrender from Marks and Spencer this March had been key to making this possible.

He said: “The key to it is that if we hadn’t done the deal, we’d have had Primark moving out and then that building standing there boarded up for two years.”

Marks and Spencer on Deansgate has been vacant since January 2023.

The former Marks and Spencer building now stands emptyThe former Marks and Spencer building now stands empty (Image: Newsquest)

Bolton Council had first bought the M&S building for around £15M in 2019 but did not secure a lease surrender from the retailer until March this year.

With Primark set to move from Crompton Place to the Market Place this year, this could have meant to large empty spaces close by in the town centre.

But Cllr Peel says that with the Marks and Spencer deal done he expects to see plans submitted in four parts to remake the area around the shopping centre and Victoria Square.

He said that he hoped this would dovetail with other regeneration projects like Church Wharf, just off the River Croal.

The Church Wharf site off the River CroalThe Church Wharf site off the River Croal (Image: Newsquest)

The Church Wharf scheme is expected to include around 140 new houses with a 120-bedroom hotel, having been under discussion since 2019.

The plans had stalled in recent years after proposals put forward by the previous developer failed to come to fruition.

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But the scheme took a major step forward earlier this year when Bolton Council agreed to sell land at the site to developer Watson Homes ahead of works taking place.

Cllr Peel said the authority was waiting for the updated planning application for further details on the Church Wharf site and that he expected it to progress “much faster” than other projects.

He said: “When I explain to people, particularly older people, who ask about we’re doing to bring new businesses to the town centre, I say we’re building new houses to create new customers.

“This is our economic argument.”