THE other day I was driving from Manchester Road along Bradshawgate seeing what many visitors will first see arriving in Bolton town centre.

It was a sobering and depressing sight: mostly empty buildings on both sides with only the odd modernised venue to brighten the gloom. It seemed to validate all the most negative comments made by the doom merchants that regularly find a voice in this town.

Then last week, things started to change a little. A plan to turn a group of derelict mill buildings in Lower Bridgeman Street into apartments promised to improve that particular gateway, and an innovative scheme to transform the eyesore empty landmark Bow Street car-park was also announced.

Yes, I know that there are parking problems with the Globe Works’ plan for more than 100 apartments. It’s not an ideal spot for this kind of development but, as Cllr Andy Morgan pointed out, there is not much else on the table for it. And something definitely needs to be done about it.

The Bow Street scheme is really exciting – a creative business plan fronted by successful entrepreneurs Geeta and Subhash Kotecha and Farhad Azimy that promises an Afflecks’ Palace-style development of small, independent retail units and possibly more residential apartments on top.

Add all this to the Vaults’ project in The Market Place where restaurants are set to open soon along with a huge cinema complex, investment by private landlords on buildings nearby and work at the Town Hall, and the town centre may be starting to look less shabby.

Of course there are empty shops around. Of course the town centre is not going to be rejuvenated overnight. But it’s a great beginning.

One of the major criticisms, along with the lack of parking which to some extent is being addressed by weekend free opening at some of the car parks, was always the demise of the independent shops that used to be Bolton’s strength. High town centre rents and rates and the march of chain stores long ago got rid of most of them.

Now, here is a chance to get back an enclave of retail independence to enhance the major offer from the big boys.

This is early days for both projects, but it does underline a new vibrancy surrounding the town centre, new investment by people with optimism and positivity. Please, just for once, let’s all get behind it.