10,400 new homes earmarked for Bolton

10:10am Monday 6th October 2008

BOLTON has been highlighted by the government as a priority for economic regeneration — with 10,400 new homes earmarked within 15 years.

Communities minister Baroness Andrews made the announcement as part of the government’s plan for the North-west.

A regional strategy document has set out the government’s ambition to create more housing, more jobs and a better environment in the North-west.

Bolton is highlighted as an area of particular focus for regeneration, along with Blackburn, Blackpool, Preston and Wigan.

The government has announced that it wants 10,400 new homes to be built by 2021, 80 percent of which should be on brownfield sites. In order to meet the target, Bolton Council will have to ensure an average of 578 homes are built each year.

A council spokesman said extra housing would be concentrated in areas such as the inner parts of Bolton as well as mills and surplus land around existing housing estates.

The council also highlighted Horwich Loco Works as a target for development.

He said: “The council’s consultation document proposes that these targets should increase by 20 per cent to provide for the growing number of households in Bolton, to address the current shortage of affordable housing and to match Bolton’s ambitious proposals for new employment.”