FOR years, Bolton has been waiting for major development to transform the town centre and its prospects.

Several projects have been completed separately, such as the multi-million pound transformation of the Market Place shopping centre, but nothing on a more strategic scale.

There has been talk of developments in the pipeline such as Church Wharf which, for reasons including the financial crisis in 2008, have never materialised.

The past couple of years have seen plenty of work behind the scenes on the £1 billion town centre master plan and now is the time things will really start to happen.

It includes the Manchester Road gateway to the town centre, the former Wayne Walker site, extending as far as land behind the former post office in Deansgate.

Work on up to 1,500 homes could get under way later this year and news on the new Church Wharf project is expected later this month.

The council has secured £100 million towards the masterplan and work is already under way to secure sites and permissions for redevelopment.

It will go hand in hand with the final plots of Logistics North being sold or developed, as well as the Rivington Chase and Barton Quarter housing developments, as well as the 1,700 homes at the former Horwich Loco Works site.

The new year will be a busy one.