£40m student village in Bolton on way

A NEW £40m student village accommodating up to 850 students in the heart of Bolton town centre has moved a step closer.
 
Bolton Council has been in talks with the University of Bolton to identify the best site to replace its existing student accommodation.
 
Council and university chiefs have now confirmed that Cheadle Square, behind the arches on Le Mans Crescent, is the preferred location to deliver the project.
 
Preliminary designs have been unveiled but these will now undergo further development and review. Subject to the final scheme agreed, delivery may take place in one or two phases.
 
A memorandum of understanding has now been signed by Bolton Council, the University of Bolton and PSP Bolton, the developer delivering the scheme, underlining their commitment to the joint project.
 
Funding for the village will come from PSP, the council would provide the land for the campus and the university would agree an annual rental income to the council.
 
The agreement also means council and university bosses have given the go ahead for PSP to undertake more detailed design and costing work.
 
Once this has been carried out and legal terms agreed, a planning application could be submitted in the autumn. Subject to approval, PSP could start work on creating the new campus next Spring, with building work likely to take a few years.
 
The new campus will replace the university’s existing halls; Orlando Village, on Thynne Street, and The Hollins on Radcliffe Road which together provide 700 single-study bedrooms.
 
It is envisaged that the new halls will contain a range of accommodation, including studio apartments, and flats with en-suite rooms and kitchens. Rental cost would vary to reflect the standard of the accommodation.

As part of the plans, the university will also move into the centre sections of Le Mans Crescent, where its student union president, the vice chancellor and registrar will be based as the university head office. In addition, the law school will relocate adjacent to the magistrates’ court.

Bolton Council leader Cllr Cliff Morris said: “We are committed to driving economic growth and this is a very important piece of our town centre regeneration plan.
 
“Introducing a major student campus of this kind really establishes Bolton as a university destination. And a town centre student village means that there will be thousands of additional residents in Bolton town centre, which will mean more customers and footfall for businesses.
 
“The town centre’s long term future is dependent on schemes like this, together with all the investment we’re making in facilities at the Albert Halls, the new Interchange, and the regeneration of Newport Street.”
 
The University of Bolton has 11,000 students, 800 staff and brings an estimated £1m a week to the local economy.
 
Vice chancellor of the university, Professor George Holmes, added: “This is a magnificent example of the true civic leadership shown by our council.

“They have embraced the university, and ‘town and gown’ have never been closer. This next development comes at the right time, when our university has the highest percentage growth in student applications in the UK.”

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