Joint venture for £200m housing scheme in Bolton ‘DOES exist’ say developers
A pressure group’s claims that a £200m housing scheme in Bolton could collapse into disarray because of the joint venture behind it has ceased to exist have been denied by developers.
Horwich Vision’s proposal for Rivington Chase including 1,700 homes, 20 acres of employment space and open land for leisure use spanning 50 acres was approved by Bolton Council in 2016.
However, residents who part of the Rivington Chase Liaison Group have said they have been told Horwich Vision – including Orbit Developments and Bluemantle Group – no longer exists.
A spokesman for Orbit and a source close to Bolton Council has told TheBusinessDesk the joint venture still exists.
Residents fear as many as seven developers could be submitting separate planning applications for different parts of the former Horwich Loco Works site in the Bolton satellite town.
There are also fears that as a result of multiple developers becoming involved in the project, that a 106 agreement requiring them to pay money towards improvements in infrastructure, including for roads and education would not be honoured.
Cllr Marie Brady, of Horwich Town Council and of the Rivington Chase Liasion Group, said in The Bolton News residents were unsure how the section 106 money would be collected if companies were developing the site separately.
She said: “Our question is what is going to happen with the section 106 money and how each developer is going to pay its share.
“All we are hoping for is information. We are really hoping that Bolton Council has been renegotiating with the developers.
“It is a massive development and this is going to massively affect Horwich. I think it’s vital for everyone, not just for Horwich but we are going to bear the brunt of it.”
Community group Horwich First said: “The purpose of having a single developer was to ensure that the regeneration of this major site and associated infrastructure was delivered in a comprehensive and co-ordinated manner.
“As it stands there appears to be no single entity in overall charge of this complex site, which is remarkable as it’s the biggest housing development in Bolton’s history.”
Mark Caldwell, chief executive at Bluemantle, told the newspaper: “All the key stakeholders in the Rivington Chase development are committed to the comprehensive development of the whole scheme including the provision of site wide infrastructure and remediation as set out in the existing planning consent.
“Bluemantle has been working closely with the council and the other main landowners on the site to prepare updated site wide plans including phasing of highways improvements and the provision of public open space.
“Appropriate legal agreements will be put in place between the council and the relevant landowners to ensure that the comprehensive delivery of the scheme takes place in line with the existing planning consent.
“We are delighted that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government supports the development of large brownfield sites like the Loco Works, which take the pressure off Greenbelt development, and look forward to houses finally being built on the first phase of Rivington Chase in the near future after many years of planning and preparation.”
Caldwell did not specify whether Horwich Vision did or did not still exist.
A spokesman from Orbit Developments, part of the Emerson Group, that it certainly did and went on to say: “Orbit, as joint shareholder of Horwich Vision, the council’s partner on this scheme, entirely agrees that this scheme, as it comes forward, has to adhere to all the planning conditions and section 106 terms — especially that the Rivington Chase scheme should be developed out in accordance with a comprehensive master plan, whereby all the various parts and phases contribute fairly and proportionately to the overall site, and off site, costs and liabilities.
“Applications are beginning to come in to Bolton Council to discharge some of the planning conditions from the original consent, which on the face of it appear to breach the agreed way forward for the site.
“We at Orbit have not been involved in the decision making to bring these applications forward and we are disappointed that our partner has submitted them without consultation.
“In addition, we have recently received an email informing us that it will be the summer of 2018 before they will be in a position to share information with us relating to this scheme, despite us offering ourselves as lead developer to kickstart the scheme, and its infrastructure, as long ago as August 2016.
“We have not recently been invited to attend any regular stakeholder/development meetings, and so we will be asking the council to involve us more proactively as a partner and as a developer, with a proven track record of delivering schemes of this size and larger, in both the UK and abroad.
“For our part we look forward to playing a significant part in delivering this scheme which, as Horwich First state, is one of the largest brownfield sites to come forward for residential development.”
