Green light expected for £100m Wanderers scheme

BOLTON Wanderers’ plans for a £100m development around its ground are expected to be approved by Bolton’s planning committee today.

A masterplan published last year detailed 310,000 sq ft of commercial space, a news sports building linked to the arena, and a five-storey education building which could house a free school, 200 apartments and a 60-bed hotel.

The proposals were put forward by the club’s owner Burnden Leisure and the Bolton Arena Trust, which runs the arena on behalf of Bolton Council which owns it.

Also included in the scheme are improvements to the Reebok stadium which will soon be renamed the Macron following a deal with the Italian kit supplier.

The council was expected to consider the plans late last year but deferred a decision until more information was gathered about the scheme’s impact on traffic. Some nearby town councils have opposed Wanderers’ plan on these grounds given a 1,700-home scheme has been proposed at the former Horwich Loco Works.