Plans in for £30m Bolton College of Medical Sciences

The five-storey training facility at the Royal Bolton Hospital in Farnworth is expected to go to the council’s planning committee next month.

The development, designed by Associated Architects and supported by Avison Young as planner and landscape architect Re-form, will see the construction of a mixed four-and-five-storey block at the hospital.

Covering 80,000 sq ft, the £30m building is supported by a £10m grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and is expected to support around 3,000 students per year.

It is being developed by Bolton College, the University of Bolton, the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, and Bolton Council. Plans will go before the council’s June committee, and subject to consent, construction will follow in the coming months. The project is expected to complete in 2021.

Alongside the college, there are also plans to build a 105,000 sq ft multi-storey car park. While the college is being built, a temporary car park will be provided; the new multi-storey car park will be built first under the phasing plan, with the college following after.

Bill Webster, principal of Bolton College, said: “BCMS aims to become a model for the future of healthcare skills and training development in the region and beyond. Bolton has a proud record of doing things differently and this innovative project will transform access to education and employment in the healthcare sector for local people and beyond.

“BCMS will improve training provision for existing staff and opportunities for those looking to gain employment in the medical and healthcare sector.  It will create thousands of new jobs and apprenticeships to alleviate the pressures on the local NHS workforce and improve healthcare provision.”