More than 300 invited guests attended an exclusive investor meeting, to learn more about the many exciting opportunities offered by the ongoing regeneration of Bolton.
The Invest in Bolton event was held this morning (March 2) at the Albert Halls where delegates heard from industry leaders, regeneration experts and the developers helping to build Bolton’s future.
Panellists discussed the council’s regeneration masterplan with £100m set aside to clear brownfield sites and bring new developments to the town and district centres.
Research by Deloitte, published ahead of the event, projects that the masterplan will deliver more than 4,000 new jobs, over 2,000 new homes and £565m of gross development value by 2040.
A number of key masterplan projects are already underway across the borough including Moor Lane, Central Street, Farnworth Green, and the Bolton College of Medical Sciences.
The event was a chance for developers to learn more about these projects, and the many additional investment opportunities being created at neighbouring sites.
Among the guest panellists was Tim Heatley, co-founder of CAPITAL&CENTRIC which is leading the Farnworth Green and Neighbourhood Bolton developments.
He said: “Bolton is one of the leaders of the pack in Greater Manchester towns in terms of bringing forward town centre living.
“We see in our Manchester City centre developments that some people, as they get older, they want more space and they are looking to move out and looking to places like Bolton.
“All the bones are here, good buildings, a good cultural offer and excellent transport connections.”
Harry Dhaliwal, of Moor Lane developers Step Places, told the audience why they chose to invest in Bolton.
He said: “Before we invest in a place we do our research and Bolton has the X-Factor and makes sense from an investment prospect.
“Like all town centres, there has been a decline but there is a lot of potential here, the train station with great links to Manchester and the university plays an important role.
“There are new graduates coming through every year and there are many great local employers, so Bolton is a place where there is a lot of opportunity.”
“Bolton is one of the leaders of the pack in Greater Manchester towns in terms of bringing forward town centre living.
Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Martyn Cox, said:
“The council has made a huge commitment to the town centre and much of the difficult, expensive and hard work has already been completed.
“But this is not just about the council. The council is responsible for many different things and regeneration is just one of them.
“The investors in this room, have the knowledge, the skills and the entrepreneurial spirit to take the regeneration to the next level.
“This is the perfect opportunity for the private sector and smaller investors to play a part in the future of Bolton.”
Leader of the Labour Group on Bolton Council, Cllr Nick Peel, also spoke at the event.
He said: “Long term investment plans require continuity of purpose and long-term policy.
“The future of Bolton is one thing that Cllr Cox and I agree on, and we share a platform on that today, the ‘Bolton first, politics second’ mantra is still in place.
“Elected members understand that times have changed. The old-fashioned town centres are not coming back, we want to create new places where communities and families can thrive.”
For more information visit Invest In Bolton