Demolition to open up £150m Church Wharf gateway
Derelict buildings on Bank Street in Bolton will be knocked down in the coming weeks to make way for Church Wharf, Muse’s mixed-use masterplan for an area next to the River Croal.
Demolition contractor J Freeley has been brought on board to demolish the former Late Club and Club Ice, one of the key gateways to the mixed-use site.
The council-owned buildings are being knocked down due to structural safety concerns. This will take 16 weeks, with a one-way traffic system put in place over the period.
Demolition will clear the area which will be the landing point for a proposed bridge over the River Croal, forming a focal point of Muse and the council’s £150m masterplan for the site.
The corten-steel footbridge will link Bank Street via the river, while further public realm including a riverside terrace and park around the existing United Utilities pumping station is also proposed.
Following demolition of the Late Club and Club Ice, a new retaining wall will be built alongside the river.
Designed by architect AEW and first revealed at a public consultation in January, the plans for Church Wharf centre around building up to 350 homes, as well as a hotel, offices, and ground-floor retail and commercial space. The first building to come forward will be a residential block fronting the river.
A planning application was submitted last month; this includes full permission to progress with infrastructure, public realm, demolition, and greening work along the River Croal corridor. Elements include widening of Well Street, extending public realm towards the river, and increased pedestrian access on the site.
The second part of the application is an outline, including up to nine new buildings ranging from two to nine storeys.
A council spokesperson said: “The building has been an eyesore for a number of years and many will welcome this news.
“This is a very complex demolition project which is why the work is expected to run for a number of months.
“We understand there will be some inconvenience to motorists and we are working with J Freeley to do everything we can to minimise disruption.”
