Bolton Council Reveals Preferred Developer for £196m Site
Date: 15/05/2007
Source: Bolton Council
Ask:Bluemantle plans to develop a £196m dynamic, high quality mixed-use scheme, combining stylish architecture and stunning open spaces. There are also buildings of local heritage in the area, which will be retained and blended in with the redevelopment.
The scheme will include; a new business quarter comprising more than 340,000 sq ft of new office space across 10 buildings; 586 residential units combining town houses and 100 high quality Abito apartments; a leisure quarter featuring a six screen cinema and up to 10 café, bar and restaurant units; a new 80-bed hotel; more than 7,000 sq ft of retail accommodation and a series of high-quality pedestrian routes and public spaces.
Other key elements include the creation of a new multi-storey car park for residents and workers at the offices, and replacement of a multi-storey car park for shoppers and visitors.
There will be extensive landscaping and an eye-catching footbridge spanning the River Croal and leading to Churchgate and into the town centre.
Ask:Bluemantle plans to submit detailed proposals for planning approval by the end of 2007. If it gets the green light the development will then be completed in six phases, with work due to commence in May 2008 and completed by 2014. The Ask: Bluemantle proposal was selected from a shortlist of four developers.
In a joint statement, the leaders of the three political parties, Councillor Cliff Morris, Councillor John Walsh and Councillor Roger Hayes commented: “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 regeneration of Church Wharf will create a recognisable and distinctive town centre neighbourhood, providing city living and a new leisure offering for the residents of Bolton. The development will also create 1,500 jobs and generate £196m of investment into the town centre over the next ten years, reinforcing Bolton’s emerging status as a regional centre.”
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 Church Wharf site is situated to the north-east of Bolton town centre and is bordered by Churchgate in the south, Bridge St to the west and St Peter’s Way to the east of the site.
The selection of a preferred developer is expected to be ratified at the meeting of the Executive Member for Development on June 4 2007 and detailed negotiations relating to the terms of the development agreement will continue over the next few months.