Bolton Council approves regeneration of Farnworth town centre

Farnworth Town Hall on Market Street.

Bolton Council’s cabinet has approved the council’s masterplan to regenerate the town centre of Farnworth.

The masterplan will see the extensive development and refurbishment of Farnworth town centre and will be delivered in phases over the coming years.

The council approved the masterplan at a meeting earlier this week before the government named Farnworth as one of the 50 towns progressing to the second phase of its £675m Future High Streets Fund (FHSF).

Council leader Cllr David Greenhalgh said: ‘This is brilliant news for Farnworth and work will now begin into building the business case for funding.

‘We want to deliver the changes that people across the borough want to see and I believe that the Future High Street Fund bid will bring us one step closer to regenerating our town centres.

‪’The masterplan approved today gives us a solid foundation, a vision, and a strategy for what we want to achieve.’

One development featured in the council’s masterplan is a new community and civil hub in Farnworth town centre.

Other plans include improved public space and connectivity, the redevelopment of the town’s Market Precinct and the extension of its leisure centre.

The council has already agreed initial terms with the precinct’s current owner St Modwen to purchase the precinct.

Farnworth’s successful progression to the second phase of the FHSF means that the council will now receive £150,000 to work on its detailed business case for the town centre.

The council is hopeful that further funding from the FHSF will help ensure that key projects in its masterplan can be delivered.

Bolton Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Martyn Cox, said: ‘It is good news that the Farnworth funding bid has progressed but we are not relying on this bid alone.

‘We will be cracking on with our strategy regardless of whether we are ultimately successful in securing the £25m we have bid for from the fund.’

Bolton Council announced earlier this year it would invest tens of millions of pounds into regenerating four of its district town centres.

The council said yesterday it has already allocated £16m to regenerate the town centres of Farnworth, Horwich, Little Lever and Westhoughton‪.

Photo Credit – Mike Faherty