Bolton has received £29m of Greater Manchester funding to build new homes and support the borough’s ongoing regeneration.
Since 2023, Greater Manchester Combined Authority has awarded grants to 18 different housing developments in Bolton via its Brownfield Housing Fund.
Overall, Bolton projects have received more than £29,400,000 from the fund, paving the way to build 2,025 new homes for local people.
These include projects like Moor Lane in the town centre, Rivington Chase in Horwich, and Farnworth Green.
A brownfield site is defined as developed land that is, or was previously, occupied by a permanent structure.
Building new homes in these areas is preferable to using undeveloped greenfield land, but can incur added costs for demolition, site clearance and other work.
Greater Manchester’s Brownfield Housing Fund is designed to offset some of these costs for developers, protecting green areas while still providing much-needed new homes.
Building homes on brownfield land is a key part of the ongoing redevelopment of Bolton town centre.
In addition to Moor Lane, other completed or planned brownfield housing developments in the centre include Deansgate Gardens, Bark Street and Church Wharf.
Research by Deloitte shows that these developments will bring 5,000 new residents to the town centre, supporting local businesses and creating a more vibrant atmosphere.
Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Nick Peel, said:
“The Brownfield Housing Fund is the perfect example of how Bolton benefits from being a key partner in Greater Manchester.
“The £29m represents a significant proportion of the funding allocated by GMCA for brownfield development, highlighting just how much progress Bolton has made in regenerating its urban areas and demonstrating how enthusiastically GMCA backs our plans.”
The latest £150m Housing Fund is part of the “Trailblazer” devolution deal agreed between central government and Greater Manchester in 2023.
The deal also included additional powers over transport, economic growth, adult skills training and much more.
July saw the launch of the Greater Manchester Strategy, a vision for the next decade to create a thriving city region where everyone can live a good life.
It is a wide-ranging plan to create jobs, build more homes, boost skills and improve public transport.
This includes plans for a Mayoral Development Corporation for the town centre and new bus routes linking the east of the borough with Logistics North and a direct route from the town centre to Middlebrook.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:
“Bolton is a great example of how we’re using our Brownfield Housing Fund helping to unlock land for development and bring forward the high-quality homes that communities need.
“Together, we’re working to make sure everyone in Greater Manchester can live in a decent, affordable home. The Brownfield Housing Fund is a vital part of that effort, opening up land for new housing, accelerating construction, and ensuring we deliver the types of homes we need throughout our city region.
“Since 2020, we’ve invested over £228 million into brownfield sites, helping us meet our target of 75,000 new homes across Greater Manchester by 2030 – all while regenerating our towns and cities, protecting green spaces, and supporting local jobs.
“This investment underlines our commitment to a brownfield first approach, ensuring new homes are delivered in a way that prioritises sustainable development and the revitalisation of existing urban areas.”
Rivington Chase, the redevelopment of the former Horwich Loco Works, has long been a regeneration priority for Bolton Council.
Like many large brownfield sites in the North, Rivington Chase has faced complexities and viability issues. Partnerships between the public and private sectors, as well as grants of £12m and £2m from Homes England and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority respectively, have helped solve these.
Cllr Nick Peel, Leader of Bolton Council, said: “Rivington Chase is a strategic priority for Bolton Council, who in partnership with Novo Bluemantle and other land partners, are creating up to 1,700 homes, employment space and local amenities.
“The development will deliver a range of much-needed houses on brownfield sites, directly meeting the housing needs of Horwich and the nearby areas and will bring substantial financial investment into Horwich.”
He added: “Given the heritage of the site on the former Horwich Loco Works, it is also important the development team is working with local residents and heritage groups to preserve this unique piece of Horwich history.”
As well as Rivington Chase, the Novo Bluemantle portfolio comprises the 60,000 sq ft Innovation House and the 120,000 sq ft Roundthorn Industrial estate, both in South Manchester.
In addition, the firm owns the 26,000 sq ft Rivington House in Horwich, which is fully let to Fluent Money on a recently signed 10-year lease.
The company’s commercial portfolio generates around £2.5m in rent a year.