Work begins on key Bolton regeneration site

Space has been cleared for more than 150 town centre homes as Bolton Council’s Central Street development begins to take shape.

After securing Brownfield Housing Land funding, the site was cleared by Forshaw Demolition Limited, ahead of work by build-to-rent provider Placefirst to deliver the new homes, commercial units and pedestrian-priority spaces.

The Central Street development will form part of the wider Croal Valley intervention area, providing a mixture of riverside housing and green space alongside a reanimated River Croal.

The site is one of six key intervention areas that have been outlined in the Bolton town centre masterplan, with the Council establishing a £100m fund to attract private sector investment for the projects.

Council leader, Cllr Martyn Cox, said: ‘There is visible progress being made at regeneration sites across the town centre and it was great to visit Central Street to see the work first-hand. A key part of our masterplan is redeveloping brownfield land and making the town centre a vibrant and attractive place to live. I look forward to watching the progress both at Central Street and at other sites in the weeks and months to come.’

Darran Lawless, development director at Placefirst, added: ‘We’re excited to be involved in this transformational development with Bolton Council, to deliver new high-quality homes for rent in the town centre.

‘Regeneration of this former brownfield site is another example of our dedication to placemaking and creating thriving neighbourhoods where people want to live.

‘Visiting the site to see the progress the teams have made has been fantastic. We look forward to the progression of this project, and the boost it will provide to the local economy.’

In related news, Manchester City Council has secured almost £20m for a project to transform two dilapidated buildings and three railway arches into spaces for the tech and creative industries.

Photo supplied by Bolton Council – credit: Paul Heyes