Watson Homes appointed on major Bolton mixed-use scheme
The council has agreed to sell the developer the Church Wharf site for the delivery of 417 homes and a 120-bedroom hotel, a deal first tipped by Place North West.
Bolton Council has selected Watson Homes to bring forward the £150m scheme, which has been in the pipeline for several years.
A conditional land sale was signed off by the authority’s cabinet today [Monday], paving the way for work to start early next year. A draft timeline for the development could see work complete in 2027 or early 2028, the council said.
The 417 homes would be available on a variety of tenures. The scheme would provide 27 social rent homes and 50 apartments for over 55s, also available on social rent. Another 22 apartments would be available for shared ownership, 109 available to buy on the open market, and 209 for rent.
Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Nick Peel, said: “The direct intervention of the council has transformed a site that was full of derelict and under-used buildings into an attractive investment opportunity with real potential.
“This is our town centre regeneration masterplan in action, delivering much-needed homes on brownfield land while also protecting our Green Belt from future residential development.
Peel added that movement on Church Wharf, coupled with a big step forward for the regeneration of Crompton Place “will give confidence to other investors and act as a catalyst for even more regeneration.”
The GMCA recently selected Church Wharf as one of more than 90 projects to receive a share of £115m brownfield housing funding. The development is in line to benefit from a £5.2m grant.
Part of a wider £1bn regeneration plan for Bolton, the original vision for the £150m Church Wharf was for almost 300 homes, as well as 130,000 sq ft of commercial space and a hotel, off Folds Road and Manor Street east of the town centre.
Muse was previously working on Church Wharf as the council’s development partner and won planning permission for the project in 2019. That scheme did not materialise and Bolton went back out to the market for a development partner last year.
I was in Bolton tien centre yesterday and went to take a look at the new homes complex built opposite the open market. I was faced with a lot of brick in terraced construction and question where the car parking spaces are for these homes and more importantly, where the immediate green spaces are around the houses as an essential amenity for potential owners to enjoy. This feature must be top of any council planning to provide a sense of open space and for residents’ mental well being.
It is good to see though, that the old Odeon space has been transformed into an open grass area which has opened up the vista towards the university area.
By Audrey Beaumont
Bolton was once the best town in the Manchester orbit for everything. It is now the worst. Dirty streets, shabby shops,everything is falling apart. The magnificent town hall is blighted by the most depressing frame of ugliness around it.It’s only hope is to become a Manchester dormitory, which thankfully seems to now be happening.
By Elephant
I doubt the scheme will be brought forward as Muse had it. I’m sure there will be changes. Really hope this scheme doesn’t end up with more social housing. So far thats all that is getting built in the town centre. Needs to be far more diverse and inspiring.
By DMT
This scheme has been in the pipeline for a very long time, it was going to be some amazing mixed-use transformation for Bolton. Admittedly the buildings on site before had seen better days and needed to be knocked down, but as seems to be Bolton Council’s way, it’s knock down first and think later. As for the Odeon – they knocked that down about 15 years, shortly after a local heritage group applied for a listing. Some of Bolton Council’s decisions around property have been questionable (and that’s being kind). Why do all councils want to be property developers now?
By Anonymouse
Bolton suburbs are far nicer and far better value than Manchester.The town has the highest rental growth in last three years in the entire country and with the vast amount new housing in town center and the new Queen Elizabeth park opening in the town center then rental and house prices are going to continue to boom.in Bolton because it has a much lower cost of living than Manchester.
By Fred Meyer
Fred meyer surely the fact that Manchester is more expensive to rent in means it’s nicer than Bolton
By Anonymous
You have suburbs of Manchester like Chorlton that have dirty streets and large amount hard drug users but despite that they are much more expensive than suburbs of Bolton like Bromley Cross and Bradshaw that have none of these anti social problems but much superior housing and lots of parks.
By Anonymous
The mill towns built in a rush during the Industrial Revolution to house hundreds of thousands of incoming workers are not pretty. But apart from too much low-life (where did they come from?), the folk are here are right enough (pietist Protestant roots). If you wnat to be ignored or sneered at, you can always go down South. Whose biased? 🙂
By Anonymous
There are some wealthy parts of Bolton. Bromley Cross, Egerton, Lostock, Harwood, Smithills and parts of Heaton. The town centre has lost its way thanks to Middlebrook and the Trafford Centre. The centre has alot of potential but has had too many false promises from developers. Fingers crossed progress happens soon.
By DMT
So odd the way that people compare Bolton, or other commuter towns, to Manchester. One of them is suburban, the other is one of the most vibrant cities in the UK, if not Europe. So yeah, if you want to live in a big house surrounded by parks, go for the likes of Bolton. Or even better, the Peak District. Manchester doesn’t really care.
By Anonymous
If Manchester is a successful city why is it full of historically high number of empty shop and restaurant units?.Virtually all high-end retail like Armani and Gant has long since pulled out of the city and even the once world famous nightlife scene has mostly disappeared.
By Sarah Goldbridge