A SPECIAL meeting of Bolton Council’s planning committee will be held tomorrow to discuss the controversial Cutacre development.

The huge £200 million industrial and retail development could bring thousands of jobs to Bolton - but those against the scheme want the developers to fulfil their earlier promise of converting the land into a country park.

Developers Harworth Estates want to build a four million sq ft development at the former Cutacre opencast mine site near Over Hulton and create a 225-hectare country park.

Supermarket giant Aldi has also applied to move its North West headquarters and distribution centre to the site from Middleton.

The region’s business leaders have estimated that, if approved, the development could boost the local economy by up to £65 million and create more than 6,000 jobs.

Bolton Council’s planning committee will visit the site tomorrow morning then debate the three planning applications at an extraordinary town hall meeting at 2pm.

If successful work on the Logistics North site, close to junction four of the M61, will begin in spring 2014.

Harworth has also submitted the applications to Salford and Wigan councils as the new build would spill over into those areas’ boundaries.

A company spokesman said: “Logistics North is one of the biggest developments of its type being brought forward in the North of England and we believe it is crucial to the long-term success of the local area and to Greater Manchester.”


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An Aldi spokesman said the company hoped it would create hundreds of jobs.

He added: “We estimate that the centre will initially support 400 jobs, 250 of which will be provided locally with the remaining 150 provided in the 84 stores the centre will serve.”

The coal mine at Cutacre closed in 2011 after more than a million tonnes of coals was extracted over five years.

In 2009, more than 3,500 people signed a petition against classing the land as “strategic employment land”, instead asking for it be turned into a country park.

Hulton Cllr Andy Morgan said: “We can’t fight the green belt fight again — the land has been redesignated for employment.

"We now need to make sure that we get the best planning gain and the most jobs for Bolton.

"Any jobs are welcome and none of us would oppose job creation. I want to make sure that the country park is implemented as promised.

"We have been promised one for the last 10 years and we’re hopefully coming to the point where it’s going to be implemented.”

Read more about the history of Cutacre here: