Farnworth market precinct is set to become a new vibrant town centre community with £50m transformation plans.
A deal has recently been agreed between Bolton Council and stars of BBC2 documentary Manctopia Capital & Centric to regenerate the site and rejuvenate the town centre.
Those from the area are being asked what they think of the proposals of around 200 new modern homes surrounding the public space, as well as a flexible indoor community space with a village hall feel.
The vision is to create a new bustling destination for artisan markets, live events, art galleries and pop-ups for foodies.
The site is a short walk from the train station, sitting on King Street, giving it easy access to both Bolton and Manchester. The refurbished bus station is also on the site’s doorstep, making it an ideal location for commuters.
A linear park will also link to Farnworth Central Park to bring green space to the doorstep of the community.
Locals are being asked what amenities they would like to see as part of the market precinct such as café-bars, delis, a mini-cinema, gym and co-working space for workers and businesses to base themselves.
Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital & Centric, said: “It’s been talked about for a while now, but I think 2021 will be the watershed year for rebooting and levelling up our town centres. To get them thriving again we need to bring people into the town centre, so we’re bringing homes of a quality seen in the city centre right into the heart of Farnworth.
“These will sit alongside all the other bits you need to make a proper community, so tons of outside space, with a new public square and linear park, and a new indoor community space for events and pop-ups.
“We’ll also have all the other parts of the eco-system like café-bars, delis, a mini-cinema, gym and co-working space. This will be a new destination for people living in Farnworth to live, work and hang out. As usual for us we’ve gone for a bold design and we’re keen to hear what people think. We’re buzzing with ideas but we want to create this community together so come and join the conversation!”
Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Martyn Cox added: “It’s really exciting to see the proposals for Farnworth town centre beginning to take shape so quickly. CAPITAL&CENTRIC have made a great start since the council agreed the deal with them last year to take forward the redevelopment of the former market precinct.
“This part of Farnworth has huge potential and we’ve now got a clear set of ideas for transforming the area. It’s got everything: high-quality homes and employment, retail and leisure opportunities.
“Now it’s over to local residents to hear what they think – so I’d encourage everyone to respond to the consultation and be part of shaping Farnworth town centre’s future.
“It’s been a tough year for everyone due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it’s important we focus as soon as possible on helping communities recover. Delivering projects like this will be a key part of that.”
There is no public event due to Covid-19 restrictions but there are a number of ways people can join the conversation:
Attend a live online Q&A on Monday 8th February at 6pm
A questionnaire can be completed online or from the ones sent to neighbouring households and businesses in the area
Manchester is getting a stunning new apartment development this autumn, set in beautiful landscaped gardens.
Acer will be the first residential development to open at Square Gardens, located in the First Street area.
Monthly rental for each apartment includes utility bills, super-fast wi-fi, use of all communal facilities and 24/7 security.
Square Gardens / Acer
You can grab a co-living apartment starting from £935 per month, studios from £1540 per month, and apartments from £2120 per month.
From one-bed apartments to studios and shared apartments, there will be 1,187 living spaces when it opens its doors. It’ll be home to one of the city’s biggest communal outdoor spaces, with this ethos mirrored inside with several apartment spaces dedicated to co-living.
The community feel is also seen in the various lounge and social spaces, as well as co-working and meeting areas.
Square Gardens / Acer
Acer will boast a large, state-of-the-art gym on site, as well as media rooms, private kitchen and dining rooms to use, and regular resident and community events.
The development’s co-living apartments range from three to five bedrooms, all fully furnished with en-suite rooms, while there are also studio apartments and one-bed apartments – with separate bathrooms and open plan kitchen and living areas. Head HERE to find out more.
Property developer Salboy is set to submit plans for a new tower which will be the tallest in the city among a cluster of skyscrapers.
If proposals are approved, the 241m (790ft) high Viadux 2 scheme is expected to take four years to build.
Salboy’s Managing Director, Simon Ismail, has said it is going to be ‘the landmark of Manchester’, the BBC reports.
Once completed, the new skyscraper will overtake Deansgate Square’s South Tower at 201m (695ft) high and dwarf the Beetham Tower at 169 m (554ft) high.
“We purposefully wanted to go for the tallest residential building in Europe… it’s a flagship building,” Mr Ismail told the BBC.
The Viadux 2 tower will hold around 800 apartments, providing homes for residents looking to live in Manchester, where housing is in great demand.
Mr Ismail said much of that demand for homes in the city was driven by ‘postgrads staying on, the largest student population in Europe, and a cost of living that’s half of that in London’.
Salboy says it has already provided about 4,000 homes in Manchester, and as long as there is ‘massive demand for homes, the firm will continue to build, Mr Ismail said.
The developer is also working on St Michael’s Tower with the former Manchester United footballer Gary Neville.
Manchester has seen a huge boom in skyscrapers over the last 10 years, with an ever evolving skyline.
Mr Ismail says he has ‘no idea’ how long the city’s skyscraper boom will continue, but that he never believed it when people had previously claimed ‘the bubble was going to burst’.
Adding: “When you look at what Manchester’s got behind it, it’s got too much backing it up, industrious people and a history of doing things right.”
Subject to approval, Salboy hopes to start work on the tower sometime this year.
Property developer Renaker has built a collection of skyscrapers at Great Jackson Street, along the southern border of the city centre.
The firm has also built towers at Colliers Yard in Salford and has started a scheme to build four skyscrapers at Trinity Islands, by the River Irwell.
Renaker has received more than £500m in loans from the Greater Manchester Housing Investment Fund – which was launched by George Osborne when he was chancellor of the exchequer in 2014.
The funding is loaned to developers by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and is then paid back. The value of the loans has now reached £942.5m with more than 10,500 new homes being supported from it so far.
A new build-to-rent community is launching in Piccadilly East, the city centre neighbourhood named one of the ‘best up-and-coming places to live in the UK’ by the Sunday Times.
The Castings will be a new creative hub, owned by the people behind the five-star Lowry Hotel, and situated behind Piccadilly Station.
Made up of studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments, the development on the cusp of the Northern Quarter and Ancoats will feature a host of amenities.
The Castings
This includes a new yoga room and gym, a games room, private dining spaces and a work hub. There will also be three food and beverage outlets on the ground floor.
Piccadilly East was named in the Sunday Times’ list of best places to live in 2020, located within walking distance from the bars and restaurants of Ancoats and the Piccadilly Basin. Cloudwater and Track brewery taprooms, Diecast, Ducie Street Warehouse and the soon-to-open Co-op Live are all also nearby.
The Castings
As the name suggests, the 350 design-led apartments are inspired by the casting of metals, incorporating industrial shapes, flowing forms and molten textures.
On the imminent launch, The Castings community manager Dave Evans said: “In just a couple of months, we’ll be welcoming residents into our new community. The focus for The Castings has been to create much more than just apartments; it’s a whole new lifestyle, with the best service and living experience that Manchester has to offer.
“Piccadilly East is a really exciting area to be part of which already contains some of the most exciting venues within the city, it’s the next generation of Manchester, and following on from the footsteps of Ancoats we hope to continue to create the next bustling creative hub in the city.”
The Castings
The prices for the new scheme start from £1150 per month for a studio apartment, £1250 for a 1-bed apartment, £1525 per month for a 2-bed and £2175 for a 3-bed apartment.