People of Bolton urged to share their thoughts on Rivington Chase heritage design proposals

 

Landscape design proposals for the Heritage and Community Core at Rivington Chase have been submitted to Bolton Council as part of the next stage in the £262m redevelopment of the former Horwich Loco Works.

 

We are urging the people of Bolton to get in touch to share their views, thoughts and perspectives on these landscaping plans, which include three proposed elements:

 

  • A pocket park adjacent to Rivington House roundabout and north-west of the Lane End development.

 

  • A memorial park adjacent to the spine road and the proposed Community Core.

 

  • A landscape buffer adjacent to the spine road, the proposed Community Core and the proposed Bellway Homes Phase 2 development.

 

The pocket and memorial parks have been designed to retain existing heritage features from the former Erecting Shop, with the latter forming a gateway to the future Community Core. Both parks include a hard-paved area that features seating and a heritage interpretation point, with the memorial park earmarked as a possible location to remember the former workforce of the Loco Works.

 

A key element of the designs is the retention and display of the original cast-iron columns from the Erecting Shop which will be restored to their former glory and displayed in situ throughout the pocket and memorial parks.

 

Mark Caldwell, managing director of Bluemantle, likened these columns to Belfast’s Samson & Goliath, explaining how just as these structures “nod to Belfast’s shipbuilding past, we wanted to create a permanent public display to showcase Horwich’s strong rail heritage.”

 

He went on to say how delighted he was that “we have managed to put forward designs that showcase the Loco Works’ dramatic columns for generations to come.”

A CGI of some of the design proposals

Commenting further on the plans, Mark said how both in this instance and throughout the whole planning process, “we have worked and are keen to continue working with the local community and heritage organisations to ensure that the history of the site is commemorated.

 

“We both urge and welcome views from these groups to ensure that neither the spirit nor the heritage of the original site is lost.”

 

Richard Roberts, director of Cass Associates – the architects behind the masterplan – added that since Covid-19, which “has reaffirmed to many people the importance of outdoor, green space”, he hopes and believes that “these plans respond to this renewed appreciation sensitively by providing recreational opportunities that really benefit locals.”

 

You can read the landscape heritage proposals in full by accessing the reserved matters planning application on Bolton Council’s website.

We welcome the perspective of the broader community; if you’d like to share your thoughts on the proposals, please get in touch on via the Enquiries page on the Rivington Chase website.