Bolton residents are invited to share their views on plans to supercharge the ongoing regeneration of the town centre.
Bolton Town Centre has already been transformed with developments like Moor Lane, Deansgate Gardens and the Wellsprings, with work also progressing well at Church Wharf and Crompton Place.
As regeneration enters an exciting new phase, a proposed Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) would build on this momentum and accelerate projects to provide new homes, create jobs and support local businesses.
MDCs must be approved by the UK Parliament and have legal powers to buy and develop land, improve transport links and build new infrastructure.
The MDC would use these statutory powers to substantially boost Bolton’s economic performance and enhance quality of life for residents.
The area covered by the proposed MDC includes 13 key development sites, with potential for 2,000 new homes, 31,000 sqm of employment space, 300 hotel beds, 14,000 sqm of food and drink venues, and more than 5,000 sqm for community and leisure use.
Beyond this, there is an ambition to do significantly more development in the Town Centre to support the Council’s Vision 2040, with the MDC acting as the delivery vehicle for further regeneration.
Bolton Town Centre MDC would be run by a board that includes both local democratically elected members, along with independent development experts to ensure the right balance between accountability and technical expertise.
Any new buildings or developments would still be subject to the normal planning process.
The MDC model has been successfully implemented across the country, most notably in Stockport.
The Greater Manchester town has delivered a series of successful regeneration projects in recent years and is now routinely ranked as one of the best places to live in the UK.
Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Nick Peel said:
“We’ve already achieved so much in the town centre by creating new homes, new places of work and new public spaces, but now we enter an exciting new phase of Bolton’s regeneration.
“We have seen from Stockport what a transformational impact an MDC can have, and this is Bolton’s opportunity to release its full potential.
“This will be a transparent and accountable body dedicated to working with residents, businesses, landowners and developers to ensure our town centre is the very best place to live, work, study, visit and invest.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:
“Greater Manchester has been the fastest growing economy in the UK over the past decade – but we know that growth hasn’t been felt everywhere by everyone in our city region.
“That’s why we’re using innovative tools like Mayoral Development Corporations to remove barriers to development and bring forward the new homes, jobs, transport links, and investment that our communities need.
“A new MDC in Bolton can be a real driver of positive change for residents and businesses, building on the great work that’s already been done to breathe new life into the town centre, and deliver good growth right across Greater Manchester.”
A consultation on the planned MDC for Bolton Town Centre will run from March 2 to March 30.
Residents, businesses and other stakeholders are asked to share their views on the proposed MDC, what its impact would be and the area that it would cover.
The consultation will be available at www.gmconsult.org and all feedback will inform a final decision on if, or how, an MDC is progressed.