‘High end’ hotel and conference centre to be built next to Bolton town hall if £20M cash bid successful

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A bid for government cash to bring into use the former Bolton Debenham’s store and open a ‘high end’ hotel and conference centre next to the town hall has been submitted. Bolton has submitted two bids to the government’s Levelling Up Fund, seeking a total of £40m to transform the town centre and improve the borough’s transport links in the area close to the Middlebrook retail park.

The bids are in addition to the already successful application for £20m to build the new Bolton College of Medical Sciences at th etown’s hospital site. The three town centre regeneration projects if successful would create a hotel and conference complex, deliver a re-imagined Market Place shopping centre, and open up a historic heritage quarter.

Bolton Council, with the support of Bolton North East MP Mark Logan, have created the bid is part of the wider £1bn masterplan for the regeneration of the town centre. The first scheme would see the under-used southern side of Le Mans Crescent converted into a high-end hotel operated by IHG, an internationally recognised brand.

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This would be complemented by adding conference facilities to the neighbouring Albert Halls. A further project would see a new layout for Market Place including a public space with the addition of a courtyard under the building’s skylight.

The building would be opened up so pedestrians can walk directly between the existing main entrance and a new entryway on St George’s Road. Work would also focus on the former Debenhams unit to create new community, leisure, music, and sport facilities.

The third development would open up the historic area around Mawdsley Street while improving connections