The redevelopment of the Croal Valley centres on the reanimation of the River Croal through residential development that takes in riverside apartments and homes interspersed with pocket parks and high-quality public realm. The rediscovery of the blue network will also allow the integration of green space and link Queens Park to the town centre. Croal Valley will create a highly desirable and scenic place to live.

There are four schemes currently underway in the Croal Valley Intervention Area including Bark Street, Central Street, Chorley Street and the redevelopment of Bolton YMCA on Deansgate.

Bark Street

Forshaw Land and Property Group have planning permission for a £35m scheme for Pool and Bark Street. Situated within the heart of the Croal Valley intervention zone, the scheme at the head of St Georges Road will serve as a landmark on the Bolton townscape being visible along one of the main approaches to the town.

Plot A, between St George’s Road and Back Bark Street, will house 114 dwellings consisting of 50 one-bed units, 59 two-bed units, 3 two-bed duplex units and 2 three-bed units – this element of the development will present its main elevation to St Georges Road and will be mainly eight storeys tall, rising to 10 storeys at the corner of St George’s Road and Pool Street. The ground floor would be used for non-residential uses, most likely a small convenience store and a class A2 professional services occupier together with a private cinema for use by residents.

Plot B, between Back Bark Street and Bark Street, will house 76 units consisting of 30 one-bed units and 46 two-bed units and will also be eight storeys high.

The third plot, Plot C, occupies land between Bark Street and St Helena Road and will house 68 dwellings consisting of 32 one-bed units and 36 two-bed units. This element of the development would present its main elevation to Bark Street, facing north and will again be eight storeys high. The townhouses will also be between Bark Street and St Helena Road.

“Bolton Council has set out an ambitious vision for the town centre and we are excited to be working with such a forward-thinking local authority. We have developed our plans for Central Street with the wider town centre framework in mind and are confident our proposals will reflect that ambition.”

Lyndon Forshaw, Managing Director, Forshaw Land & Property Group Ltd

Central Street

North West-based Placefirst, in partnership with Levitt Bernstein and landscape architects CW Studios, will deliver 158 stylish homes, offering a range of quality apartments and houses.

The development is designed around a network of pedestrian priority streets, a spacious square, courtyards, rooftop terraces and residents’ gardens. The scheme will also utilise a range of ground floor units to expand on the amount of commercial space available to local businesses.

The development will occupy 1.1 hectares at a brownfield site that is currently occupied by vacant buildings and a car park. It is located to the North of Deansgate, opposite the former Beales/Whittakers department store and extending to the River Croal.

Placefirst has worked collaboratively with Bolton Council and other stakeholders for the past two years, including putting its proposals to a number of independent design review panels and holding detailed discussions with the Civic Trust.

Construction of the project is set to commence in April of this year with final completion of the development expected in 2023 which will see the properties let, maintained and managed by Placefirst as ongoing landlords for the scheme.

“Our vision for this Central Street development is much more than just bricks and mortar and is about creating a thriving community in the heart of Bolton. We’ve a proven track-record of regenerating areas and turning them into places people love to live, so am extremely excited about the transformation we’ll make to the town centre through this ambitious development.”

David Mawson, Chief Executive, Placefirst

Chorley Street

Chorley Street is a mix of 118 new affordable homes. Bolton at Home in partnership with Irwell Valley have transformed a disused car park and Brownfield Land into an attractive new neighbourhood.

The 5,700 square metre site, called Chorley Place, includes 36 apartments for affordable rent, available through the council’s choice based lettings service by visiting here . There will also be 25 apartments for people aged 50 and over, as well as 17 houses available to buy under the government’s shared ownership scheme.

The remaining 40 apartments will be available on a Rent to Buy basis for people looking to get onto the property ladder. This scheme enables tenants to rent a home at 20% less than the market rent value for up to five years, giving them the means and opportunity to save for a deposit.

By creating mixed developments which include homes for sale, they invest any money made back into building more social housing and regenerating communities. Chorley Place is a distinctive development that offers something to suit a range of needs.

The new homes at Chorley Place are built to high environmental specification, highlighting Bolton’s commitment to meeting the goals set out in the Climate Strategy.

The estate is designed around low car usage and includes a flood attenuation system which reduced flood risk by capturing rainwater and releasing it slowly.

Similar to other developments underway in the town centre, the project offers improved pedestrian and cycling links to the River Croal and Queens Park to boost active travel.

The new homes also meet a growing demand for affordable housing in the borough, while building on brownfield land helps protect valuable green space.

The development has received grant funding from the government through Homes England.

“To help meet the housing shortage in Bolton we need homes of all types to suit people with different needs, Working in partnership with our colleagues at Irwell Valley Homes, we’re providing social housing for people on a low income, affordable homes for first-time buyers and properties for older people who want to downsize.”

Development Principles

To renaturalise a stretch of the River Croal
in order to develop a series of residential enclaves that make the most of the town centre’s ‘blue network’
Create a more cohesive and compact urban fabric
by creating ‘river corridors’, featuring high quality residential blocks that make the most of the views afforded and open up opportunities for leisure and community uses.
Develop new green spaces (pocket parks)
that capitalise on the waterfront setting and maximise Queen’s Park as one of Bolton’s green assets, by creating a housing development that acts as a gateway between the park and town centre.

Bark Street

Central Street

Chorley Street

Development Principles

Development partners

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