Bolton’s Church Wharf gets outline approval

Manchester-based Ask Developments and partner Bluemantle have been granted outline planning permission for their £210m regeneration of Church Wharf in Bolton town centre.

Bolton Council’s planning committee approved the masterplan proposals, designed by Carey Jones architects, for the redevelopment of a 14-acre site.

The proposals will also bring back into use brownfield land and create a feature of the River Croal which runs through the site. 

The mixed-use scheme will include a new office quarter providing 300,000 sq ft of business accommodation across eight buildings.

Plans also include a new residential quarter, a leisure quarter and up to 10 bar and restaurant units, a new 160-bed hotel, more than 15,000 sq ft of retail accommodation and a series of new pedestrian routes and public spaces.

The development will be undertaken in a number of phases, with work due to commence as soon as the remainder of the acquisition programme is completed.

Bolton Council’s executive member for development, councillor John Byrne said: “Church Wharf is a key gateway to Bolton town centre and the regeneration of this area will create a distinctive town centre neighbourhood, which is expected to create 1,500 jobs over the next 10 years reinforcing Bolton’s emerging status as the second fastest growing investor destination in the Manchester city region.” 

Mark Caldwell, chief executive of Bluemantle, added: “The next challenge will be to see if the public and private sectors can work closely together to overcome the difficulties of today’s market conditions and move towards the first phase of development. It is at times of economic stress that public sector support for regeneration projects of this nature becomes critical.”

A detailed planning application for the first phase of the scheme is expected to be submitted next year.