Bolton Gives Green Light to New Proposal for Employment, Housing and Expansion – Ensuring Spaces for All

During yesterday evening’s meeting of Full Council, members voted in favour of Places for Everyone, Greater Manchester’s long-term development plan.

The plan was crafted by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority in collaboration with the councils in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Tameside, Trafford, Salford, and Wigan.

Following numerous public consultations and thorough evaluations by planning experts, the next step in adopting the plan requires each individual council to give their approval.

For Bolton, the plan includes setting aside land for employment space and economic growth at Bewshill Farm, Chequerbent North, and west of Wingates.

Combined, these sites will provide land for approximately 500,000 square metres of new industrial and warehousing floorspace within the Wigan-Bolton Growth Corridor.

This expansion will build upon the economic prosperity already witnessed at Logistics North, where new logistics and manufacturing opportunities have generated over 5,500 jobs.

The plan also outlines how the borough’s increasing population will necessitate an additional 787 homes annually until 2037, a goal that Bolton is currently on track to meet.

Places for Everyone will bring tangible benefits to the people of Bolton, creating jobs, stimulating growth, and enhancing our planning requirements.

However, under the proposed developments, no housing will be constructed on Green Belt land in Bolton, thanks to a continued focus on residential projects in town centres, Rivington Chase, and other brownfield sites.

Additionally, the plan will incorporate 8 hectares of open land into the Green Belt north of the former Horwich Golf Course to safeguard it from future development.

By adopting Places for Everyone, enhanced planning criteria will be introduced that will provide additional advantages for Bolton residents.

Future developments in the borough will now be required to meet higher standards in terms of space, accessibility, sustainability, and electric vehicle charging points.

Councillor Akhtar Zaman, Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, commented:

“Places for Everyone will bring tangible benefits to the people of Bolton, creating jobs, driving growth, and enhancing our planning requirements.

“We are particularly pleased that our emphasis on redevelopment means that no Green Belt land will be lost to housing, despite the anticipated population growth in Bolton.

“Together with the increasing momentum behind our town and district centre regeneration, this is an exciting period for Bolton, with many more new developments on the horizon.”

For further information on Places for Everyone, please visit the Greater Manchester Combined Authority website.