Farnworth transformation plans approved by Bolton Council
Bolton Council’s planning committee has today (April 14) approved regeneration plans for Farnworth town centre.
It backed Manchester-based developer Capital&Centric’s vision to overhaul the market precinct, creating a bustling neighbourhood with new homes, shops, bars, cafes and green, community spaces.
Work is set to start later this summer on the project, which is backed by the Government’s Future High Street Fund.
Plans include:
- 85 design-led one- and two-bedroom apartments
- 12 family homes (two- and three-bedroom)
- More than 20,000 sq ft of space for bars, cafes and independent stores
- A community hub on the ground floor of one of the proposed buildings
- A new public square, complete with green spaces and places to meet up
- An events pavilion, set to support outdoor community events from art and live music to makers markets
- Lush landscaping to introduce greenery to the town centre
- Pedestrian links through the community and safe cycle storage
Located on King Street, the site is a short walk from the train station with easy access into Bolton and Manchester, and on the doorstep of the refurbished bus station, making it an ideal location for commuters.
Adam Higgins, co-founder of Capital&Centric said: “This is not only a game changer for Farnworth but a blueprint for Greater Manchester towns to adopt. It was a challenge set for us by Bolton. We knew whatever we did in Farnworth, we had to redefine the future for generations and think long and hard about the design.
“The approved plans have got elements of our Manchester projects Kampus, Ducie St Warehouse and Crusader Mill in there – all with the same incredible architecture and amenities. That’s not easy to deliver, when the average house price in Farnworth is around £144,000, but we’ve taken a long term view of value creation and that’s unlocked the whole project.”
He added: “Our vision is bold, creative and ambitious but we’ve been inspired by the support from the council, the Towns Fund and GMCA’s innovative brownfield land fund to help us make it happen.”
Bolton Council’s director of place development, Gerry Brough, said: “This is a real vote of confidence in the regeneration of Farnworth and Capital&Centric’s multimillion-pound investment in the district centre.”
The refurbishment of Farnworth Leisure Centre was also granted planning permission at the same meeting and Mr Brough said: “Both these projects are supported by the Future High Street fund and will help make the centre of Farnworth a more vibrant and prosperous place.”
