Health Innovation Bolton is set to bring thousands of jobs, new homes and major healthcare and research space to a 700-acre site beside Royal Bolton Hospital...
A major £1bn health-led regeneration project in Bolton has taken another step forward after its key partners signed a new Partnership Agreement.
Health Innovation Bolton, known as HIB, is planned for a 700-acre site west of Royal Bolton Hospital and forms part of Greater Manchester’s wider NorthFold growth corridor between Bolton and Wigan.
The scheme is expected to bring around £520m of capital investment, with plans for approximately 200,000 sq m of employment, research and development and health-related space alongside more than 2,000 new homes.
Once fully operational, HIB is projected to support around 4,500 direct jobs on site, with 2,300 of those expected to go to Bolton residents. It is also forecast to generate £160m in GVA for Bolton and £310m for Greater Manchester each year.
The new Partnership Agreement has been signed by Bolton Council, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford Estates, Peel Land, the University of Greater Manchester, Bolton College and facilities management company iFM.
It updates an earlier agreement signed in 2021 and follows further work on the project’s business plan, masterplan, infrastructure, governance and delivery strategy throughout 2026.
The wider vision is to create a new neighbourhood centred on health and wellbeing, bringing together healthcare, education, research, employment, housing and green space.
Partners say the location is particularly significant because of its proximity to Royal Bolton Hospital, the university and its medical school, creating the potential for a wider health and life sciences cluster.
Bolton Council Leader Cllr Akhtar Zaman said: “Meaningful regeneration goes beyond bricks and mortar to create new opportunities and lasting improvements in people’s lives.
“Health Innovation Bolton is the perfect example of this by bringing new jobs and much needed homes to our borough, while also addressing the fundamentally unfair health inequalities that impact our communities.
“The scale and ambition of HIB are an ideal fit for Bolton’s ongoing regeneration and make it a key project in the transformational NorthFold growth location.”
Stephen Wild, Managing Director for Peel Land, said: “HIB is exactly the kind of transformational investment needed to address long-standing health inequalities and build on the world-class health and life science ecosystem across Greater Manchester and the wider North West.
“Healthcare in isolation has never been the whole answer – it’s housing, jobs, green space and connections that are so needed to drive alignment of health and social care needs with the environment. This is exactly why HIB brings a hospital, university campus, new homes, jobs and local business together to form a new neighbourhood.
“Signing this Partnership Agreement marks a significant step for a scheme that will put health at the heart of a new neighbourhood in Bolton. We’re extremely proud to be working alongside partners who share our ambition to create something special and unique here. Together, we’re creating a blueprint for health-led regeneration that will benefit Bolton and Greater Manchester for generations.”
A joint development vehicle between Peel Land and Bolton Council is also intended to be established to help move the scheme forward.
Further discussions with potential partners are planned, with a public consultation on Health Innovation Bolton expected to take place in 2027.
Read More:
CyanLines brings trees, planting and colourful cycle parking to Deansgate
Heritage Open Days returns with free visits to over 150 historic Greater Manchester sites
Portrait of Black Britain returns to Manchester with expanded exhibition at Aviva Studios