A NEW central library, to be shared with Bolton University, could form part of Bolton's multi-million pound Cultural Quarter development.

Bolton Council has expanded the scope of its plans to include the university library.

A research centre for textiles students could also be developed as part of an expanded museum and art gallery.

The planned Cultural Quarter will now take in a huge 10.9 hectare area centred around Le Mans Crescent and stretching towards the university.

The new central library could be a new building - or an extension of the present one. If it was a new building, the council say it would remain in the town cente within an area bordered by Moor Lane and Trinity Street.

Other developments in the Le Mans Crescent area will see the courts complex move to a new home on the former site of the Water Place swimming centre off Trinity Street.

The building that was the headquarters for Bolton police, who have moved to Burnden, will be turned into offices.

The Cultural Quarter will have cafes, bars and a small number of homes and will also include a knowledge centre for emerging science and IT firms.

An arts and crafts centre remains on the wish-list, despite being denied lottery funding, but much will depend on talks with private developers.

Keith Davies, the council's director of development and regeneration, said: "The university also has redevelopment plans so we have pulled the two together.

"Both the town centre and university have a library so if we build a new one it makes sense for it to be a joint facility.

"The university also does a lot of research work with textiles and artefacts and with us looking to build an extension to the museum and art gallery and their wanting new research facilities, it would again make sense for the two to go together."

A development brief is now being produced for the scheme and Mr Davies said he hoped to start talks with developers by the summer.

Cllr Ebrahim Adia, the council's executive member for development, said: "We're very excited about the Cultural Quarter.

"We hope it will be a particularly distinctive feature of Bolton town centre and an important part of our tourist strategy."

Karyn Brinkley, Bolton University's Pro Vice Chancellor, said: "We are in discussions with the council about the Cultural Quarter development, but these discussions are preliminary.

"We are exploring what we need and what they need, and where those needs might come together strategically and practically, but there are significant issues of timing and funding yet to be resolved.

"We have discussed with the council the practical potential of sharing some library facilities and also possibly a research facility located alongside the museum and art gallery.

"But these discussions have been early, what if, discussions, and have not proceeded to any formal costing, business case or project plan."