Major £35m Regeneration Of Bolton Town Centre Gets Underway
The town of Bolton in Greater Manchester is undergoing a £35m regeneration scheme that will transform the town centre. The Manchester Evening News (MEN) reports that the Central Street Project will create a new neighbourhood of homes that will be available for long term rent. New leisure facilities and public spaces will also be created.
Developers Placefirst have worked with Bolton Council to develop a scheme to attract more people to live in the town centre. 167 build-to-rent (BTR) homes will be constructed, offering a mixture of flats and townhouses with gardens and rooftop terraces. There will also be new leisure and hospitality facilities and commercial office space.
The aim is to create a new community focus, as the traditional function of town centres as shopping destinations has declined sharply in recent years. The shift towards e-commerce has left many bricks and mortar retail units redundant, and many town centres are now characterised by empty or underused shops and cafes.
Similar ‘urban living’ regeneration projects have been developed throughout the country, such as the one currently underway at Stockport. Future town and city centres will have a much greater mix of residential, cultural and leisure facilities. They are also being designed to be pedestrian and cycle-friendly to reduce the reliance on cars.
The MEN reports that Bolton Council leader Nick Peel visited the Central Street to see the progress for himself. He said: “What we can see here is, quite literally, the laying of the foundations for the future of Bolton town centre.”
“The way people shop has changed, and we are working to shift the focus away from just retail and instead offer a wider variety of reasons for people to live and visit here.”
“Alongside our growing cultural offer, modern urban neighbourhoods like this will help us create a vibrant town centre where people want to live, tourists want to visit, students want to study, and businesses want to invest.”
Placefirst’s development director, Darran Lawless, said: “We are delighted with the progress on site at Central Street, where we are delivering an exemplar neighbourhood of 167 new quality homes for private rent, with features such as enhanced public realm, communal and commercial space for residents to enjoy.”
He added: “It is important to have a mix of housing types available to cater for the local demographic, and Placefirst specialise in creating bespoke build-to-rent neighbourhoods where residents can settle and stay for the long term, creating a real community, and benefiting the local economy.”
As part of the scheme, new riverside walks will be created alongside the River Croal, which forms the northern boundary of the new development site. These are part of wider plans to create more pedestrian links along the river, and will provide direct access to the town centre, thus reducing vehicular traffic and promoting better health for citizens.
It is hoped that the new housing will restore some of the lost historic identity of the town, and attract new residents across all generations.
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