AN EXCLUSIVE restaurant looks set to be among new shops and eateries planned for a luxury town centre development.

Bosses at the Marsden House complex, at the junction of Deansgate and Marsden Road, Bolton, say a well-known chef with a string of high-quality restaurants has been approached to move into the development.

The celebrity restaurateur, who has not been identified, is currently considering the offer.

If he turns down the proposal, owners Marsden House Investments may plump for a fashionable continental bistro-style outlet to attract more daytime customers.

The restaurant would sit among 120 apartments and two levels of shops, which will provide hundreds of jobs in the town.

David Griffiths, managing director of Marsden House Investments, said: "A high-quality restaurant would flourish in the evening in Bolton, but a need for daytime trade may necessitate something more flexible such as a continental bistro.

"We are not closed to just offers of a top-notch restaurant.

"Daytime food trade is all about the footfall, and having a close employment base in the town centre would be a massive benefit to occupants."

Several high-quality retailers, as well as a convenience supermarket, are also expected to occupy the 26,000 square foot space.

A health club may also be included in the huge nine-storey development, which will be clearly visible against the skyline of the town.

An initial plan for an 80-room hotel has now been scrapped by the company, which found that there was more demand for apartments in Bolton town centre.

Many of the dwellings are ready to be fitted-out, and Mr Griffiths said the company is well ahead of schedule, with brickwork currently being put up. The grand opening of the complex is scheduled for May 26 next year.

The majority of the apartments, which range in price from £80,000 to £140,000, have already been sold to private buyers either for their own use or to rent.

Mr Griffiths added: "We hope that the development will help to procure further investment in the town, as Bolton seems to be a forgotten corner.

"It's a shame because it is a superb town."