The Bolton Thread

[PWL]

Why no towers in Bolton?

[flange]

Originally Posted by Cosmo Disney

The development Flange has posted is Central Street which recently got an anchor tenant signed up.

Tesco superstore plan for Bolton town centre

A TESCO superstore is being planned for Bolton town centre.

Bosses from the supermarket giant are in talks with Bolton Council and detailed plans are being drawn up.

The store would be at the heart of the proposed Central Street development.

Neil Skitt, corporate affairs manager for Tesco in the North-west, said: "It will be of superstore size, but that is all we have determined.

"The finer details are yet to be agreed because we are at the very early stages."

Tesco is in talks with the Central Street scheme developers, Wilson Bowden Developments, as well as the council.

Senior figures from the three organisations will meet over the next few months.

But before any work can start, a full planning application - giving details which include opening times, the size of the store and the number of jobs it is likely to create - must be submitted to Bolton Council for approval.

Council Leader Cllr Cliff Morris said: "The decision by the Tesco board to pursue being the anchor store within the Wilson Bowden scheme at Central Street is a real boost at this stage .

"It demonstrates great confidence in the future of the town centre and we will now be working with the developer and Tesco to progress the scheme.

"We look forward to receiving a detailed planning application in due course."

There are two existing supermarkets in Bolton town centre - Morrisons in Black Horse street and Sainsbury's off Trinity Street Asda has a store at Burnden, but Tesco's nearest supermarket to the town centre is at the Middlebrook Retail Park - around four miles away.

Redevelopment plans for Central Street were first unveiled in February, 2004, and were revised in September, 2005.

High Street stores, cafe bars, restaurants and luxury apartments are included in the £100 million scheme.

The development - which has now been granted outline planning permission - will be built behind a revamped Victoria Hall and will include a new public square.

The anchor store is seen as the key to the success of the development.

If Tesco takes up all the available space, the store would cover 85,820 sq ft on the ground floor and a further 30,100 sq ft on a mezzanine floor - a total of 116,000 sq ft, the equivalent of two Reebok Stadium football pitches.

Will Robinson, retail director at Wilson Bowden Developments, said: "We are delighted to be making good progress with Tesco and are now looking forward to delivering a comprehensive redevelopment of this key town centre site to meet the needs of the people of Bolton."

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc...own_centre.php

[flange]

University links up with BBC to nurture talent

THE University of Bolton has joined forces with the BBC to nurture new talent and develop media skills.

All of the North of England higher and further education institutions and nearly 30 community organisations are involved in the link-up.

University of Bolton students are already working closely with the BBC through the BBC Writers' Room initiative which helps foster talent by giving professional guidance on disciplines such as script writing.

But the university hopes the new link-up with the BBC will lead to courses being developed that will equip students with the necessary skills and expertise for a career in the media.

BBC Chief Operating Officer Caroline Thomson said: "With a number of key BBC departments moving to Salford in 2011, it is important to connect with audiences across the North of England."

Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton, Dr Peter Marsh, said: "Bringing BBC departments to the North opens up great career opportunities within creative, media and production; all strong courses here at the University of Bolton."

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc...ure_talent.php

[flange]

£200m town centre re-vamp bonanza



An artist's impression of the new site

A MULTI-screen cinema, a hotel and nearly 600 new homes are to built in Bolton town centre.

They are part of a £200 million scheme for the Church Wharf area which will create 1,500 jobs.

It includes bars, restaurants and office blocks.

The council has already selected the developers and work should start in a year's time.

The six-screen cinema would be the first in the town centre since the ABC cinema in Bradshawgate closed in January, 1998.

Cllr Akhtar Zaman, Bolton Council's executive member for regeneration, said: "This is a significant step towards achieving our dream of transforming Bolton into a thriving, modern town.

"In ten years' time, we will see a very different town centre with more offices, homes, leisure facilities and shops. Church Wharf will be an important part of that."

The Church Wharf development will cover an area bordered by Folds Road, St Peter's Way, Manor Street and the River Croal.



Another artist's impression of the new site

The scheme is the latest in a long line of ambitious plans for Bolton town centre, which include a cultural quarter for Le Mans Crescent and a £100 million redevelopment scheme in the Central Street area.

From a shortlist the council has selected two companies, Ask Developments and Bluemantle, to jointly carry out the Church Wharf scheme The 13-acre site will include: l 586 homes including townhouses and apartments.

l More than 340,000 sq feet of office space across ten buildings.

l More than 7,000 sq feet of retail space.

l A leisure quarter including the six-screen cinema - and up to ten cafes, bars and restaurant units.

l An 80-room hotel.

l Two multi storey car parks - one with 660 spaces for residents and another with 700 spaces for shoppers and visitors. They will replace the existing Bow Street multi-storey and eight surface level car parks.

l An eye-catching footbridge spanning the River Croal, leading to Churchgate and the town centre.

Large areas of Church Wharf are currently covered with surface car parks. There are also a number of industrial buildings, a takeaway and a number of bars.

In a joint statement, the leaders of three party groups on Bolton Council, Cllrs Cliff Morris, John Walsh and Roger Hayes said: "The Church Wharf site has the potential to become a catalyst for the transformation of the townscape of Bolton.

"We were impressed by Ask:Bluemantle's ambitions to provide a vibrant town centre leisure quarter, including a new cinema and also by its proposal to make a feature of the area's riverside setting."

The developers will submit plans by the end of the year, If they are approved the scheme will be completed in six phases, starting in May, 2008, with completion by 2014.

Ken Knott, chief executive of Ask Developments, said: "This dynamic city-scale project will be a pivotal driver of Bolton's broader regeneration ambitions to transform itself into a 21st century city.

"Ask and Bluemantle are delighted to have been chosen as preferred development partner for Bolton Council and share its aspirations to create a place where people will want to spend their time, money and indeed lives."

Mark Caldwell, chief executive of Bluemantle, added: "Church Wharf demands scale, ambition and quality and we share Ask Developments' delight at being selected by Bolton Council to make this impressive vision a reality."

The selection of the preferred developer is expected to be ratified at the meeting of the executive member for development Cllr Ebrahim Adia on June 4.

Detailed negotiations on the terms of the development agreement will continue over the next few months.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/mostp...mp_bonanza.php

[flange]

College could become hotel in master plan

Is turning the college into a hotel making the best use of the building? Post your opinion in the Comment box below

An empty college building could be turned into a hotel as part of a scheme to breathe new life into a gateway to Bolton town centre.

The former Clarence Street School off St Peter's Way and an area to the south bordered by Higher Bridge Street and St George's Street will be transformed under the plans.

A development brief for the area suggests the three-storey school, most recently used by Bolton Community College, could be turned into a hotel, office or homes.

Bolton Council says the school building, which dates back to 1882, is of architectural value and that conversion is preferable, but does not rule out its demolition and replacement if a high quality landmark building is proposed. Clarence Street School opened in 1888 and closed in 1938 when the building became the Bolton Women's Institute.

In 1958 it became the Bolton Women's College of Domestic Arts and Crafts, before changing its name to Bolton College of Adult Education in 1976 and finally becoming Bolton Metropolitan College - later Bolton Community College - in 1982.

Offices, homes and shops are also earmarked for other sites in the area, with a building proposed for the council-owned car park off Clarence Street.

Two privately owned car parks either side of All Saints Street and the J&A Motors garage on the corner of Clarence Street and All Saint's Street are among other sites earmarked for new buildings.

The council has separate plans for new multi-storey car parks off Bath Street and Folds Road.

A new public square, to be known as Little Bolton Square, is proposed for the corner of St George's Street and All Saints Street.

St George's Street would be transformed into a tree-lined boulevard with a landmark piece of artwork suggested at the eastern end near St Peter's Way.

Buildings including the Mint Casino, the St George's square office development and offices fronting Higher Bridge Street would be retained. The southern part of the site, which includes St George's Street and the Little Bolton Town Hall, has already been awarded £1.6 million in heritage lottery funding to renovate its historic properties.

Cllr Ebrahim Adia, the council's executive member for development, who approved the brief, said: "This is a very important gateway to the town centre with views from Topp Way and this development will help welcome people coming to Bolton. At the moment it has surface parking and several buildings which require development and it is not fulfilling its potential."

The council will now consult the public on the brief. Talks have begun between the council and owners of the sites earmarked for development.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc...aster_plan.php

[flange]

New transport interchange for Bolton?

An imposing hotel could be a landmark feature of a huge new transport interchange in Bolton.

And a futuristic "skylink" - a raised, enclosed glass walkway - could carry passengers from newly-created bus stops to the railway station in Trinity Street.

The interchange plans also include shops, restaurants, cafes, bars and offices.

It will be built on a large triangle of land off Trinity Street currently used for car parking.

Council leader Cllr Cliff Morris said the plans would regenerate that area of the town centre.

"It will be a new gateway to Bolton and will give people a good impression when they arrive here," he said.

"At the moment, there is a lot of derelict land in that area which doesn't create the best image."

While the council is committed to the scheme, proposals are at a very early stage.

Under the council's draft proposals, the current bus station would move from Moor Lane to the new interchange.

The entrance to the interchange would be at the junction of Newport Street and Great Moor Street, where it is suggested the landmark hotel be built on the site of what is now the Factory Food Outlet.

A second landmark building is proposed for the corner of Trinity Street and Bradshawgate. Tall buildings "emphasising the skyline" are suggested as part of the development.

A major public space is proposed at the front of the railway station.

Changes to make the area pedestrian-friendly could see the central reservation in Trinity Street removed, carriageways narrowed and footpaths widened.

A multi-storey car park is also suggested, although a location has yet to be identified. Car parking underneath the bus station is a possibility.

The brief calls for improvements to the railway station, where a fifth platform is planned by Network Rail to ease overcrowding on trains between Bolton and Manchester.

It says "inadequate" toilet facilities could be improved. Passenger information systems and the buffet bar could also be modernised.

The station's landmark clock tower in Newport Street would be retained.

The interchange proposals form part of a £3 billion bid for Government cash for transport improvements, part of which would be paid back by revenue from a congestion charge in Manchester.

But it is not dependent on the bid being successful. Other public funding and private investment could be used.

The council's director of development and regeneration, Keith Davies, said: "We want this to be more than just a transport interchange.

"It is about making sure we maximise commercial development around the site to support the town centre, as well as providing state of the art transport facilities for residents."

Bolton town centre manager, Cathy Savage, added: "This has been in the pipeline for some time and has got to be good for the town centre.

"Putting the bus exchange near the train station will make visiting Bolton easier for people and encourage more people to come into the centre."

The interchange project forms part of wider plans for a Bolton Innovation Zone.

A prospectus in which the council presents its vision for the zone will be published on November 9 in a bid to attract private investment.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc...for_bolton.php

[flange]

VOTE: Bolton's £17m defeat in lottery cash bid

A £17 million bid to revamp Bolton's museum, art gallery and aquarium has been scrapped after Lottery funding was diverted to pay for the London Olympics.

Council bosses had been preparing a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to help cover the cost of the museum work.

It was to be developed as part of the Cultural Quarter being planned around a newly pedestrianised Le Mans Crescent.

But the maximum possible grant has now been capped at £1 million because the Government has diverted Lottery cash to cover the overspending on the 2012 Olympics.

Plans for the building in Le Mans Crescent had included: l Expanding the first-floor museum and art gallery to the ground floor which is currently occupied by Bolton Central Library.

l Moving the library to a new knowledge centre shared with the University of Bolton.

l Expanding and modernising Bolton Aquarium.

l Refurbishing the basement lecture theatre, including new seating.

l Improving lighting and humidity in the art gallery to help preserve exhibits.

The plans also included a creative arts centre for performances and exhibitions, and studios and workshops at a site still to be decided.

The council spent years working on the Lottery funding.

But the setback means it has downgraded the bid to just £900,000 and limited improvements to the museum's social history gallery.

Deborah Dunleavy, Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bolton North-east, said: "This will have a devastating effect on the proposed regeneration of our town centre and the development of the Cultural Quarter.

"Gordon Brown has snatched the carpet from underneath our bid and reduced the funding to a mere fraction of what it was."

Details of the setback emerged after Conservative leader David Cameron launched a campaign to free the Lottery from Government interference and preserve an extra £182 million for the arts, sports, heritage and charities.

It had been feared that a huge escalation in costs for the Olympics - estimated at about £9 billion, from an initial figure of £2.35 billion - would mean developments and projects in towns such as Bolton would suffer. But the extent of the problem has only recently become known.

If the £900,000 bid is successful, a new exhibition will be launched at the museum telling the story of Bolton, while there will be more space to display photographs from the 1937 Mass Observation Project which show people going about their daily lives.

Cllr Ismail Ibrahim, the council's executive member for culture, said: "What we can do with £900,000 is far from the expectations, so councillors are disappointed.

"The cultural quarter was going to change the whole dynamic of the area. The museum improvements fitted into that."

Bolton's Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Roger Hayes, said: "It's extremely disappointing and very annoying. We were led to believe that other areas of the country wouldn't lose out because of the Olympics but it seems to be costing us a lot more than expected and we aren't seeing the benefits in our part of the country."

The council's director of development, Keith Davies, said: "It is frustrating and we are disappointed because we had spent two or three years on the bid."

But Mr Davies said the setback did not spell the end for the plans.

He said more Lottery cash could be available after 2012 and that he hoped the Cultural Quarter proposals could also attract private-sector investment as part of wider plans for a Bolton Innovation Zone.

The zone includes the combining Bolton Community College and Bolton Sixth Form College on one site and the concentration of the university's operations in Deane Road.

There will also be a new magistrates court, while the former Odeon Cinema in Le Mans Square is being replaced by a hotel, offices, homes and shops.

A spokesman for the Department of Culture Media and Sport, said: "The Lottery is an essential part of the Olympics funding. Without the Games, there will be no sporting legacy for the UK, no four-year celebration showcasing British culture, talent and innovation, no boost to our economy and no influx of visitors."

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc...y_cash_bid.php

[flange]

Everything about all the new developments in the The Cultural Quarter at Bolton here

http://www.bolton.gov.uk/pls/portal9...LTONMARKET.HTM

[flange]

[flange]

Closure means more work in Bolton

JP Fresh Ltd is to transfer work to its banana ripening facility in Bolton following the closure of a packing plant in Bridgwater, Somerset.

Some of the 81 staff affected by the shutdown of the JP Bananas depot are likely to be offered relocation to either Bolton, or the company’s other ripening facility in Dartford, Kent.

The closure is due to take effect in April. JP Fresh is part of the US-based Dole Group, which supplies tropical fruit to all the major UK supermarkets.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness....work-in-bolton

[flange]

Acorn opens in Bolton

Recruitment and training company Acorn is opening a branch at Navigation Business Park, The Valley, in Bolton.

The office – the 38th in the country for the Newport, South Wales-based group – will specialise in placing construction and design staff.

Acorn’s major clients in the region include Gleeds Construction Consultants, Turner & Townsend, Mace, Davis Langdon, Cyril Sweett and Veolia Water Solutions.

Office manager Zoey Buckingham said, “Bolton is a first-class business location, located within 20 minutes of central Manchester and is in a great position to capitalise on the growth of the Greater Manchester sub-regional economy.

“Bolton is also home to one of the country’s fastest growing universities, with over 8,000 students from more than 70 countries choosing to study in Bolton, so we have the heady mixture of a vibrant economy and highly- qualified labour pool.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness....pens-in-bolton

[flange]

Bolton plans to be The Biz

4/ 3/2008

THE hunt is on for a developer to take control of a 70-acre commercial development site in Bolton.

Bolton council is looking for development partners to take responsibility for the site, called The Biz, which is likely to include a mixture of high-quality office space, leisure space, hotels and residential accommodation for students.

The development focuses on the expansion of the University of Bolton. A developer is expected to be selected by this summer.

The Biz scheme is part of a 300-acre Bolton redevelopment programme which will be showcased on the French Riviera later this month.

Bolton Council is revealing plans for over £1bn of planned investment across four sites in the town centre, including Church Wharf and the new Merchants' Quarter.

They will be showcased at the Marché International des Professionnels d'Immobilier (MIPIM) in Cannes, from March 11 to 14. Bolton will be making its second appearance at MIPIM.

It is the only council except Manchester to be part of the Manchester city region delegation. MIPIM is the world's premier real estate and property summit, attracting key decision-makers including national and international developers and investors.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...._to_be_the_biz

[LaLov]

Just letting you know that all your effort to inform about the goings on in our little corner of the world is much appreciated, flange.

Nice one.

[flange]

Thanks

Could Bolton get a wheel bigger than Manchester's?

By News Editor James Higgins

BOLTON showman, Henry Hill, has unveiled ambitious plans to buy a 65 metre high £2m ferris wheel.

The fairground organiser is currently searching the North-west for a suitable location for the attraction.

And one of the spots at the top of his list is Victoria Square in Bolton.

Another option being considered is Salford Quays with its panaromic views over major landmarks like The Lowry and Manchester United's Old Trafford ground.

He hopes it will rival the huge ferris wheel in Manchester city centre which is 60 metres tall.

Mr Hill, who puts on the Cheadle Square fair and operates the Victoria Square carousel, said: "My company North West Funfairs will be getting a ferris wheel and we are currently in negotiations with a number of organisations regarding where it could be sited, but things are at a very early stage.

"Salford is one option but we are talking to other people - it will definitely be in the North West - the town hall square at Bolton would be good too.

"Manchester's has been a success and the one in London. Another opened recently in Nottingham and we believe the time is right for another in the region."

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/displ...anchesters.php

[Caiman]

No offence to Bolton, but I think the success of Manchester and London's wheel have something to do with their locations...

[flange]

Final thumbs up for Fred

By Jane Lavender

FRED Dibnah's statue will be erected in Bolton town centre.

The council's planning committee yesterday (THUR) granted final approval for the bronze tribute to the famous steeplejack to be placed in Oxford Street, next to the Hick Hargreaves steam engine.

Speaking at the planning meeting, Cllr Linda Thomas, said: "Fred Dibnah was a well loved Boltonian who the public want to see honoured. "This will be an appropriate and respectful tribute to him. It's an excellent position in the town centre, in a prime place where a lot of people will be able to see it.

advertisement"It will prove a big attraction to the town as Fred himself was. It's fitting that he will continue to attract people to Bolton after his death."

The statue was originally due to be erected in Oxford Street, but members of the Fred Dibnah Appeal Fund - which raised cash for the sculpture - wanted it to be set on top of a replica chimney.

Town planners felt this would be unsuitable for the town centre and committee members found an alternative private site outside Trinity Church in Trinity Street.

But the public was so in favour of the statue being sited in the heart of the town centre, a compromise was been reached and it will now rest on a granite plinth following the approval yesterday.

The statue will be unveiled on April 29, which would have been Fred's 70th birthday.

Appeal chairman Brian Tetlow said: "We're delighted with the decision of the planning committee and are now looking forward to getting work underway."

His widow, Sheila Dibnah, added: "I'm thrilled with this decision as this was the final hurdle."

The statue, which shows Fred in his typical work clothes, including trademark flat cap, has been made by sculptor Jane Robbins.

It has been taken to a foundry in Oswestry, Wales, to be cast in bronze.

The Appeal Fund raised more than £46,000 in donations from all over the country. Some of the money will be used to fund an engineering bursary at the University of Bolton.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/displ...p_for_fred.php

[jrb]

Originally Posted by flange

Church Wharf looks very interesting.

MEN today.

New £700,000 emergency centre
Deborah Haile
8/ 3/2008

THE Red Cross, famed for its mercy role in disasters worldwide, has opened a centre in Bolton to help Greater Manchester residents.

The charity supports British emergency services during major incidents. It offers day-to-day first aid services and support for the elderly, as well as refugee services and humanitarian education for the young.

The £700,000 Bolton district centre will be a major base for emergency responses.

It is the third in Greater Manchester and the ninth in the region. It has received major investment from fund raiser, the Bradbury Foundation.

North west president Edith Conn, who has raised funds for the charity for 30 years, says the centre, on the Springfield Court Industrial Estate, will be well placed to provide services for local people in any emergency.

Donations can be made to the North West Emergency Response Appeal by calling Jonathan Ward on 0161-888-8915 or visiting www.redcross.org.uk/northwest

[flange]

Bolton redevelopment comes closer

11/ 3/2008

A NEW £210m redevelopment of Bolton town centre has moved a step closer.

Cheshire developer Bluemantle and its partners, Manchester-based Ask Developments, today submitted an outline planning application for the 14-acre Church Wharf site.

The announcement, made at the MIPIM property convention in Cannes, on the French Riviera, opens the way to a scheme including new offices, shops and apartments.

The scheme will create a new quarter in the north east part of the town centre and bring back into use a considerable amount of brownfield land, while creating a feature of the River Croal, which runs through the site.

It will include 300,000 sq ft of offices and a new leisure zone, with cinema, retail, cafés, restaurants, bars, a boutique hotel and apartments.

Plans also include 720 residential units combining family accommodation, apartments and starter homes.

The leisure quarter is to feature a multi-screen cinema and up to 10 cafés, bar and restaurant units, along with a new 120-bed hotel plus more than 15,000 sq ft of retail accommodation and a series of new pedestrian routes and public spaces.

If the planning application is approved, the development will then be completed in six phases, with work due to commence in late 2009 and to be completed by 2014.

Mark Caldwell, chief executive of Bluemantle, said: "Church Wharf demands scale, ambition and quality, and we will be working hard with Ask Developments to make this impressive vision a reality."

In a separate move, Bluemantle has bought an historic shopping arcade in Preston. Together with investment partner Kilmartin, it has bought the landmark Miller Arcade in Preston from local developers Maple Grove for £8.6m.

The Miller Arcade includes 53,148 sq ft of office and retail accommodation over five floors.

The building has been sold with detailed planning consent for residential use on the upper three floors.

The property is well placed to benefit from the redevelopment of Preston city centre, which is expected to begin soon.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....t_comes_closer

[flange]

Developer submits application for £210m Bolton scheme

By Simon Binns

Bluemantle, developer of the £210m Church Wharf scheme in Bolton, has submitted a planning application for the project.

The 14-acre development, which will comprise 720 homes, a 126-bedroom hotel, a multiplex cinema, office space, cafes, bars and restaurants, could begin in late 2009.

Bluemantle consultant Simon Isherwood said: "We have entered into a development agreement with Bolton Council and everything has gone well.”

An Ask subsidiary, Ask Life, will be building the homes.

The outline application will go before Bolton Council's planning committee in May or June.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness....-bolton-scheme

[flange]

Dewhurst Dent avoids Bolton mill planning appeal

9 April 2008, 12:46

Dewhurst Dent has secured planning permission from Bolton council for the redevelopment of Union Mill on Vernon Street after agreeing to conditions.

http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news...ng-appeal.html