Plans for 208 homes at former bus station would be ‘catalyst for change’ for town centre
Detailed plans for a ‘transformative’ town centre community at the site of Bolton’s former bus station have been lodged.
Developers Step Places, along with social housing provider Bolton at Home, plan to build 208 homes at the 10,600 sq metre Moor Lane site, which is owned by the council.
They claim the development would be a ‘catalyst for change’ for Bolton town centre by building homes to last ‘for generations’.
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The area, next to Le Mans Crescent, has been largely vacant since 2017 when the new Bolton Interchange opened but has been used in the past year as a Covid-19 testing centre.
A full planning application, filed with Bolton council this week, gives details on the proposals.
The site, which is partially in a conservation area, is bound by Moor Lane, Queen Street, Cheadle Square and Bolton Market.
The four apartment blocks will range in height from four storeys up to six storeys and contain one and two-bed flats.
The two blocks within the conservation area, which will also have commercial units at ground level, are set at four storeys to compliment the roof levels of Le Mans Crescent and the job centre located between the two proposed buildings.
The land to the west of these sites will have 44 three-storey, three-bed houses in two blocks in a rectangular arrangement around community courtyards.
The two final apartment blocks are positioned to the very west of the site on Moor Lane, these are six storeys in height.
The development will also establish a clear pedestrian link between the town hall and Le Mans Crescent with Queens Park.
A design and access statement in support of the application, states: “The housing offer has been considered to provide a range of property sizes, types and tenures to suit local requirements, these include starter home and apartments, family focused homes and apartments specifically aimed at
older people.
“Homes and streets will be tenure-blind, so that it is not easy to differentiate between homes that are private and those that are shared ownership or rented.
“We believe that the Moor Lane development offers an opportunity to create a catalyst for change in providing a new sustainable multi tenure neighbourhood that dovetails into the surrounding areas, creating a diverse, vibrant experience with a mix of complimentary uses designed to last for successive generations.”
Bolton Council’s planning committee will decide on the planning application at a date to be decided.
