AMBITIOUS plans to develop a £40 million student village in the heart of Bolton town centre have been unveiled.

Cheadle Square, behind the arches on the historic Le Mans Crescent, has been earmarked "to reflect Bolton’s status as a university town" — and "create the environment and atmosphere experienced by students who attend Cambridge University".

The development will house up to 850 students and will replace the university’s existing halls — Orlando Village in Thynne Street, and The Hollins in Radcliffe Road, which provide 700 single bedrooms.

And, as part of the plans, the centre sections of Le Mans Crescent will become the heart of the university, where the student union president, the vice chancellor and the registrar will be based.

Plans are on track to open the village to the first students in September, 2018.

Vice-chancellor Prof George Holmes said: “It will create a model closer to that of Cambridge University than Liverpool, Leeds or Sheffield, because the students will have much closer links with, and will be involved in the town, as students at Cambridge are part of the town.

He added: “This next multimillion pound development comes at the right time, when our university has the highest percentage growth in student applications in the UK — 25 per cent plus, when other universities have seen a growth of one per cent to three per cent, it is the fastest growing university.

"The cap on students is off and we want to provide excellent student accommodation, which will benefit the community and the economic regeneration economic — it is now not just about having good teachers but about having outstanding student residential accommodation as well."

The new halls will contain a range of accommodation — from affordable to luxury — which will include studio apartments, and flats with en-suite rooms and kitchens.

Prices will reflect the standard of the accommodation — with the high-end apartments being used for hosting national and international visitors attending University of Bolton conferences.

Preliminary designs have now been unveiled and are due to be developed further.

Prof Holmes said: “This is about providing excellent student accommodation for local, national and international students.”

The council will provide the land for the campus and the university will agree an annual rental income with the local authority.

Prof Holmes said: “I am very keen that the development is sympathetic to the history — I want to create a sense of history, permanence and sustainability, and for it to be there for the next 125 years like Le Mans Crescent will be.”

A memorandum of understanding has been signed by Bolton Council, the University of Bolton and PSP Bolton LLP, the developers delivering the scheme, underlining their commitment to the scheme.

Funding for the village will come from PSP, and the agreement means council bosses and university bosses have been given the go ahead for PSP to undertake more detailed designs and costing work.

Once this has been carried out, and legal terms agreed, a planning application could be submitted in the autumn.

Subject to approvals, PSP could start work on creating the new campus next spring.

Leader of Bolton Council Cllr Cliff Morris said: “Introducing a major student campus of this kind really establishes Bolton as a university destination.

“And a town centre student village means that there will be thousands of additional residents in Bolton town centre, which will mean more customers and footfall for businesses.”

Prof Holmes concluded: “This is a magnificent example of the true civic leadership shown by our council. They have embraced the university — town and gown have never been closer.”