On 10 February 2026 Bolton Council committed £100 million in its 2026 budget to kick‑start a major regeneration of Bolton town centre and its district hubs across the borough. The programme is designed to attract new shops, improve public spaces and infrastructure, and create local jobs by supporting a shift to a residential‑led, mixed‑use town centre.
The council says this public investment is intended to unlock a wider private investment pipeline of about £1 billion and supports a long‑term aim to bring roughly 5,000 new residents into the town centre by 2040. Early work will target intervention areas including Croal Valley and the Church Wharf riverside site, with additional upgrades planned for district centres such as Farnworth, Horwich and Westhoughton.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the GM Mayor have supported setting up the Bolton Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) to help accelerate delivery by giving the public sector enhanced powers over land assembly and planning. Bolton Council says the £100m will be used to make sites development‑ready — for example through demolition, land assembly and public‑realm works — and has identified the long‑delayed Crompton Place shopping‑centre site for clearance (demolition was reported as expected to start in early 2026).
Local leaders say a mix of housing, workspace and improved public realm is intended to help the local economy adapt to changes in retail, by increasing town‑centre footfall from residents as well as visitors. Plans include targeted public‑realm improvements such as paving, lighting and green space to make streets and squares more welcoming while development sites are brought forward.
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