Bolton Council has green lit Capital&Centric’s plans to re-boot Farnworth town centre into a thriving neighbourhood.
The council’s Planning Committee backed the detailed plans to overhaul the market precinct, creating a bustling neighbourhood with new homes, shops, bars, cafes and loads of green, community spaces.
It paves the way for work to start on site later this summer, with hoardings set to be installed in the coming weeks.
The project, led by the Manchester-based social impact developers, is backed by the Government’s Future High Street Fund. This latest approval agrees the detail of the scheme and follows the original outline consent in September 2021.
The aim of re-booting Farnworth is to usher in a new era of town centre living in Bolton, by bringing a mix of homes with amenities right on the doorstep. Capital&Centric plan to deliver:
85 design-led one and two bedroom apartments
12 family homes (two and three bedroom)
Over 20,000 sq.ft of space for bars, cafes and independent stores
A community hub on the ground floor of one of the proposed buildings
A new public square, complete with green spaces and places to meet-up
An events pavilion, set to support outdoor community events from art and live music to makers markets
Lush landscaping to introduce greenery to the town centre
Pedestrian links through the community and safe cycle storage
Located on King Street, the site is a short walk from the train station with easy access into Bolton and Manchester, and on the doorstep of the refurbished bus station, making it an ideal location for commuters.
Adam Higgins, co-founder of Capital&Centric said:
“This is not only a game-changer for Farnworth but a blueprint for Greater Manchester towns to adopt. It was a challenge set for us by Bolton. We knew whatever we did in Farnworth, we had to redefine the future for generations and think long and hard about the design.
“The approved plans have got elements of our Manchester projects Kampus, Ducie St Warehouse and Crusader Mill in there – all with the same incredible architecture and amenities. That’s not easy to deliver, when the average house price in Farnworth is around £144,000, but we’ve taken a long-term view of value creation and that’s unlocked the whole project.
“Our vision is bold, creative and ambitious but we’ve been inspired by the support from the Council, the Towns Fund and GMCA’s innovative brownfield land fund to help us make it happen.”
Bolton Council’s Director of Place Development, Gerry Brough, said:
“This is a real vote of confidence in the regeneration of Farnworth and Capital & Centric’s multi-million-pound investment in the district centre.
“We are delighted to support this with our extension and refurbishment of Farnworth Leisure Centre, which was also granted planning permission at the same meeting.
“Both these projects are supported by the Future High Street fund and will help make the centre of Farnworth a more vibrant and prosperous place.”
More details can be found here:
