BOLTON and District Civic Trust believes there should be an overall concept for the bus station and Cheadle Square ­— with a public green open space at the heart of it.

Chairman Richard Shirres said: "In 2016, the Civic Trust produced an outstanding proposal for Moor Lane and Cheadle Square, West of The Crescent. Most of that vision, embodying best practice design concepts and principles, remains cutting edge and relevant.

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"Now with more enlightened leadership, and with large scale regeneration being considered for Bolton Town Centre, Bolton has a unique opportunity to out compete Central Manchester as a desirable place to live and work. But this will depend entirely upon the quality of architecture and planning, with ‘place creation’ designed to the best principles of sustainability and climate resilience; places that foster people’s well-being. Green infrastructure can only have a major role if that is to be achieved.

Bolton Council has declared a climate emergency and its town centre regeneration must aspire to be a paragon of low-carbon and sustainable, quality architecture and town planning. This is the last opportunity to set matters as they should be. Otherwise, the young generation, and those to come, will rightly judge us harshly."