Bolton restarts Crompton Place, kickstarts Nationwide Building revamp

A busy cabinet meeting awaits the local authority on 4 November, with councillors looking to vote on the demolition of much of the shopping centre and starting the process of hiring a developer for the project.

Also on the Bolton Council to-do list: approving the easy lease surrender at 1 Newport Street so that much-needed repairs can be done to bring the grade two-listed building back into use.

Crompton Place

With its first £175m plans for the 280,000 sq ft shopping centre very much in the bin, Bolton Council is gearing up for a rethink of the future of Crompton Place.

But before that can get underway, it is undertaking a series of enabling works. Councillors will vote on 4 November to use a framework (either CSS, Procure Partnerships, or Salford City Council Framework) to procure a demolition partner.

The chosen company would raze much of the shopping centre, Acresfield House, and the basement car park. The contractor would not touch the HSBC building that fronts Victoria Square or the former M&S Building, with the latter being saved by the wrecking ball because of its potential for a standalone redevelopment.

Demolition would be conducted in phases, with Bolton Council already exploring meanwhile uses for the area when all is complete. A report to the council showcasing a potential meanwhile use is set to be written in due course.

Bulldozing much of the shopping centre is set to reopen a link between Victoria Square and Bradshawgate, helping invigorate the town centre.

Moving forward with demolition will help make the redevelopment of Crompton Place more viable – which was the downfall of the last proposals from 2018. These had called for a 110-bed hotel, 50 homes, and 113,000 sq ft of offices to be built. They were to be delivered through a joint venture between the council, BCEGI, and Midia – but when it was realised the project did not make fiscal sense it was abandoned and the JV dissolved.

CBRE is assisting the council in crafting new plans for the shopping centre. This includes starting a competition to find a new development partner, who will work with the council to submit a new planning application.

In another effort to de-risk the redevelopment of Crompton Place, Bolton Council has been working with Colliers to secure vacant possession of the shopping centre. There are only six businesses operating within the shopping centre and six on the external area, most of whom have a short-term tenancy with only three months notice required.

Cllr Akhtar Zaman, Bolton Council deputy leader and executive cabinet member for regeneration, said that he understood that redeveloping Crompton Place was a priority for Bolton residents. He also spoke about the official report that is going before cabinet on 4 November.

“The report sets out a clear pathway to demolish this underused building, work with developers to regenerate the site, while also making good use of the space in the meantime,” Zaman said.

“The flagship redevelopment of Crompton Place will signal to the market that Bolton means business, bringing more private sector investment into the town centre.”

Bolton Council is ending Nationwide’s lease of 1 Newport Street early to get started on repair works. Credit: via Bolton Council

Former Nationwide Building

Situated a stone’s throw away from Crompton Place is 1 Newport Street, also known as the former Nationwide Building.

Vacant for years, the grade two-listed structure has fallen into disrepair. Bolton Council has negotiated a early lease surrender, which will see Nationwide pay a lump sum to the council. Part of this money will go towards the repairs. It is this lease surrender that councillors will vote on in November.

1 Newport Street dates to 1825 and was originally an exchange and a library. In 1853, it became a library and museum of national history before Nationwide Building Society took a long lease in 1970. The bank operated out of the building for a while, before subleasing it to tenants. The most recent one was Coral Bookmarkers.

Bolton recruited Colliers to do a building condition report, which showed the extent of the disrepair. This included damp, damaged windows, and a faulty roof.

The agency suggested that immediate works, including roof repairs, would cost £231,700. Other works that would help return the building to optimal shape, would cost a further £64,400.

Zaman said fixing up buildings like 1 Newport Street is part of the council’s commitment to improving the town centre.

“This is a great example of how direct intervention from the council can create opportunities for town centre regeneration,” he said.

“We have already seen that by acquiring empty or underused property we can deliver projects like Moor Lane, Church Wharf and Farnworth Green,” he continued.

“While we have the option of leaving the property with the current leaseholder, we know Bolton residents want to see Number 1 Newport Street brought back to life.

“This is a real opportunity to revive a historic building while adding to the vibrancy of the town centre with a new restaurant or café.”