Capital&Centric picked for clutch of Bolton sites
The Manchester-based developer has agreed to acquire council-owned sites around the town’s train and bus stations and draw up a masterplan for their redevelopment into homes.
The first phase of the project will see proposals worked up for 6.2 acres off Bolton’s Bradshawgate – including a car park off Breightmet Street. A planning application expected to be submitted later this year.
Capital&Centric’s Neighbourhood Bolton project aims to “re-write the rules on suburban living”, according to co-founder Tim Heatley.
“Neighbourhood Bolton will be our first such community of its kind, one that hopefully provides an antidote to what’s on today’s market,” he said.
“Good design and aspirational new-build homes don’t need to be the preserve of city centres or affluent cul-de-sacs. With the right support and partnership, places like Bolton can embrace a new wave of town centre residents desperately looking for more choice in Greater Manchester’s rental market.”
Capital&Centric hopes Neighbourhood Bolton will kickstart the wider regeneration of the whole area, which was dealt a setback in January when Bolton Council learned its bid for £43m from the second round of the government’s Levelling Up Fund had been unsuccessful.
The cash would have been spent on improving highways in the town centre and regenerating the northern part of the town centre.
“Bolton deserves sustained investment,” Heatley added.
“The latest levelling up news was obviously disappointing, but we believe in Bolton’s future. Just a week or so later, we’re here announcing our second local project to both unlock investment and bring about positive change.”
The scheme is Capital&Centric’s second foray into Bolton. The developer is currently delivering a residential-led redevelopment of Farnworth town centre.
Bolton Council leader Cllr Martyn Cox, described Capital&Centric’s planned investment as a “huge vote of confidence in Bolton town centre, and in the council’s regeneration plans”.
“Not only will Neighbourhood Bolton deliver much-needed homes on brownfield sites, but it will play a vital role in making our town centre a more vibrant place to live, work and visit. It will also complement the existing regeneration projects in the town centre and beyond.”
Sounds great, hope they use local firms and consultants to draw up the plans.
By MJ
missed the procurement. Who were they up against??
By Bolton Girl
That area of the town centre is in dire need of improvement, let’s hope construction starts soon. Bolton has so much potential if opportunities like this are successfully developed.
By Nick
Let’s hope this happens, lots of promises and very little action in Bolton Town Centre, I’ll reserve judgment until I see an actual planning application!
By Dave Simmons
The plans for Rochdale fell through. Let’s hope this proceeds. Bolton is dire now.
By Elephant
Hoping this is a positive step and decisive action by Bolton to get a grip of its drifting regeneration ambitions. We’ve been let down by too many unproven developers previously, fingers crossed.
By Clare Mitchell
Clare, I agree, Bolton has definitely been let down, but “unproven developers”? Can we really describe Muse (Church wharf) as such? Bolton has clearly been let down by the administration. Lots of announcements, which I’m fairly certain wouldn’t have been led by the developers, if they weren’t given the assurances of support from the Council, to make the plans reality.
Hopefully this is a turning point
By Anon
Very excited about this
By Dave Sykes
We ((Forshaw Land & Property Group based in Bolton) are already on site and in construction on our 5th Bolton Town Centre development. The latest being 58 contemporary town houses at St George’s Rd and Bark St. It’s good to see Capital & Centric following suit. I admire a lot of their work.
By Lyndon Forshaw