A £6.5 MILLION office development will be built in the town centre after plans were approved by Bolton Council.

The 2,800 sq metre ‘Bolton Central’ office space will sit on the junction of Newport Street and Great Moor Street, next to the new Bolton Interchange.

It is the latest large scale project to be announced in the town centre, following the ongoing refurbishment of the Albert Halls, upcoming transformation of Newport Street and the proposed new student village behind Le Mans Crescent.

Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Cliff Morris, was the first to move approval of the plans put forward by PSP Bolton Central LLP, the developers also behind the new student halls.

He said: “It will be super office accommodation, which is something we have been wanting.

“It will enhance that area of town, and I’m more than please to move it and hope that it will go from strength to strength.”

Cllr Norman Critchley also backed the plans, but raised concerns about the design.

He said: “I really do welcome this. My only concern is the colouring of grey – can we have something brighter?

“It is such a key area and I just want a bit more vibrancy about the colours.”

All of the members of the planning committee voted for the plans except Hulton councillor Alan Walsh, who voted against because of his concerns about a lack of parking.

Developers now have three years to start building work to construct the new office block, which will be built as the same time as the new £48 million Bolton Interchange.

It will be five storeys high along Newport Street and at the junction, and three storeys fronting Great Moor Street.

The committee were told planning officers had carried out a large scale consultation with residents and businesses nearby, but did not receive any letters of objection.

Building is expected to be completed in early 2017.