THE first lead developer involved in the £1billion regeneration of the town centre has been revealed.

Bolton Council's director of place Stephen Young announced that Salford-based Muse Developments would lead the regeneration of Church Wharf — one of the five key sites in the masterplan.

The authority's vision for the area, bounded by St Peters Way, the River Croal, Manor Street, Bank Street and Folds Road, includes a residential neighbourhood with hundreds of new homes, public spaces and a new pedestrian route along the River Croal.

Cllr Ebrahim Adia, deputy leader of Bolton Council, said: "We are really pleased that Muse will lead on the regeneration of Church Wharf.

"They have a great track record of creating spaces that are both commercially successful and also popular with the public.

"Our town centre vision is bold and exciting but we know it cannot be delivered by the council in isolation.

"To achieve regeneration on the scale we require the help of our private sector partners, and the team at Muse has an excellent track record of delivering high quality creative schemes.

"Church Wharf is a key gateway into Bolton town centre and we want to see regeneration taking place there as soon as possible."

The announcement was made during a panel on the masterplan held at international property event MIPIM in Cannes.

Muse Developments director Phil Mayall said: "We are excited to work on a scheme that has so much potential. Bolton is a forward-thinking council that wants to bring real change to the town.

"We have been tracking the project for a long time, so it will be great to begin to get the wheels in motion.

"However, we are at the start of a long journey — at this stage all options will be analysed and considered and we will be working closely with the council to get the plans right for the town.

"Local residents, businesses and stakeholders will also be consulted as proposals emerge."

The council recently sought feedback on a draft supplementary planning document for the Church Wharf area.

Initial preparation for the development, including site clearance, could take place in the coming months.

Muse is aiming to submit an application for the scheme by the end of the year.

It is anticipated that some initial preparation work including site clearance could take place in the coming months.

The masterplan was revealed in September and contains proposals to redevelop the town centre up to 2030 and beyond.

It includes creating 1,800 homes, 7,400 jobs and generating economic activity worth an additional £412million over five sites.