Plans submitted for 188-acre Horwich Loco Works redevelopment
A JOINT venture between Bluemantle and Orbit Investments has submitted plans for 1,700 homes and 379,000 sq ft of employment space at the former Horwich Locomotive Works near Bolton.
The joint venture, called Horwich Vision, said the plan for the 188-acre site represented a total investment of more than £260m over th enext 15 years.
The plans include the preservation of a number of former works buildings and a new access road that will link the site with Horwich Parkway railway station, junction 6 of the M61 and the nearby Middlebrook retail park.
Jim Caldwell, chairman of Alderley Edge-based Bluemantle, said: “This planning application is the next major step by the Joint Venture Partnership in the regeneration of this strategic brownfield site.
“We have been working closely with Bolton Council, and other key stakeholders over a number of years to reach this point and we look forward to seeing the transformation of the site. Many of the existing buildings on site are reaching the end of their useable lives and a number are no longer capable of being occupied.
“The time is now right to commence the mixed use regeneration of this under-utilised site and to open the next chapter in Horwich’s evolution creating contemporary housing and many jobs.”
Bolton Council leader Cliff Morris said: “This application will now go through the planning process. The development of the former Loco Works is a key part of our economic development plans for the borough and we made sure the planning frameworks were in place by including the site in our core planning strategy.
“It is a development of regional significance and could provide some 1,700 residential units which would help us meet housing demand in Bolton over the next decade. It comes shortly after the council approved the planning application for Logistics North and the new cinema and leisure development at the Market Place and if approved would be further significant private sector investment in Bolton.”
HOW Planning is the retained planning consultant for Horwich Vision and Cass Associates is the master planner.
