Work to start on £3 million scheme to revamp Newport Street

Bolton Council is regenerating Newport Street in a bid to make it a more appealing gateway to the town centre.

An important aspect of the plan will see all the shop fronts in the street fitted with a new bolt-on frame, which will incorporate a roller shutter system and new signage.

The idea is to create a more uniform look to the street and work is set to begin on the first eight shops in the coming weeks.

Lancashire-based construction firm Warden will be place scaffolding on to eight properties — starting with Newsagent News Box — and moving on to the next seven properties in turn as each front is completed.

These will include Greggs, Shuz4U, the Redd clothing store, H & T Pawnbrokers, Ryman stationary and two vacant units.

Scaffolding will be placed around the outside of the shops — but the work will not require the businesses to close.

Work to the first group of shops is expected to take a few months, subject to weather conditions.

Once the first eight properties have been completed Warden will move down the street, erecting scaffolding in phases.

When the Eastern side of Newport Street is complete, the plan is to improve the shop fronts on the opposite side, subject to gaining the necessary approval from landlords and tenants.

Click on the below image to see a picture gallery of Newport Street through the ages

Bolton Council’s executive cabinet member for regeneration, Cllr Ebrahim Adia, said: “This is much needed investment in one of our main thoroughfares and I’d like to thank businesses for their ongoing support.

“We appreciate that there will be some disruption while the work is underway but Newport Street is still very much open for business."

Yakub Adam runs the Shuz4U store and says he hopes the new shop fronts will bring a much-needed boost to Newport Street.

He said: "I have seen the designs and I am happy with them, I really hope it works because at the moment Bolton Town Centre is dead.

"We have another store in Bury and our takings are 72 per cent up on here so Bolton really needs to catch up."

He added: "I think the new interchange will bring more people into the town centre and it is a good idea to improve Newport Street as it is the first thing they will see."

The improvement work to the shop frontages form part of the overall £3 million council redevelopment scheme for Newport Street.

Up to £2 million will be spent on renovating shop fronts and £1 million on improving the street with new paving, seating, street lights and trees.

New paving will be installed following completion of each phase. Work to the street has been ongoing since last year, with benches and trees having already been removed and electrical ducting for new street lighting columns installed.

The Newport Street scheme ties in with the creation of the new £48 million transport interchange in Great Moor Street and Cllr Adia said the two projects should vastly improve the town centre.

He added: “The design for the street will help create a seamless, open route from the new Transport Interchange through to Victoria Square.”