Bolton Councils bids for town regeneration now over 100m

COUNCIL bosses are fighting to secure additional cash to bring overall funding up to £100m for regeneration projects across the borough.

Funding is set to be gathered from central government, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), and other sources to significantly add to the investments already made by Bolton Council.

The money has been earmarked for a variety of different projects, including building more housing for the town and new modern workspaces, as well as better road infrastructure and a state-of-the-art health hub.

New bids that have been made and are pending approval include a £16.2m bid from the government’s levelling up fund to support the ongoing redevelopment of Crompton Place in the town centre.

This money would go towards the demolition of the building’s west side to create a modern employment space.

There is also a Levelling Up Fund bid for a £20m contribution towards the building of the Bolton College of Medical Sciences, projected to create over 20,000 apprenticeships over its lifetime and help train 60,000 medical professionals.

Further bids are being prepared for the next round of the Levelling Up Fund including proposals for a Westhoughton and Horwich road corridor improvement scheme.

Bolton Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Martyn Cox, said: “This council is committed to creating a vibrant and modern town centre and to regenerating our district centres across the borough.

“We have set aside £100m to fund a variety of projects and are working closely with private sector partners to deliver an overall package of £1bn of investment.

“But we are always looking for additional funding opportunities to support projects that create jobs and benefit residents.

“We have a good track record of securing grant funding. This is a reflection of the hard work of the council and our partners in selecting viable projects and submitting strong bids that will attract investment.”

If these bids are successful this will add to the grants already received, such as £22.9m to upgrade Bolton Market, create more learning space at the Central Library and Museum and improve public space in Cheadle Square. And there would be £13.3m to transform Farnworth town centre.

Other bids include £10.7m from the Greater Manchester Brownfield Housing Fund to help create new homes in the town centre and £12m to support the redevelopment of Horwich Loco Works, and £5m to support active travel in the borough, adding up to just over £100m worth of investment in the borough.

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