An 8,000 sq/m self-storage site is up for approval on land once occupied by Bolton College.

Lok'nStore submitted its proposals for the area next to Manchester Road on November 8 of this year.

Once occupied by Bolton College, and still owned by the council, the land was allocated for residential use by the authority more than 10 years ago.

However, the Bolton Audi dealership now sits at the southern end and Lok'nStore now wants an 8,000 sq/m self-storage site at the northern end.

At four floors or 18m tall, and decked out in orange and white, the site is set to be a significant presence for those who use the road in and out of the town centre.

Its hours are 8.30am to 8pm between Monday and Friday, with shorter times on Saturday and Sunday.

The Bolton News: An illustration of the proposals An illustration of the proposals (Image: Lok'nStore)

A report to the council planning committee, which meets at the town hall this week, reads: "This site has remained undeveloped for approximately 10 years following the demolition of the college buildings. An outline consent for residential use was not pursued.

"Whilst officers have had interest from other developers (including residential use) these have not been pursued to submission stage. The residential allocation within the Core Strategy dates back to a time when developments such as Moor Lane, Central Street and Bark Street did not seem to be a possibility."

In the absence of comments in opposition or support from residents, the report recommends the proposals for approval.

It reads: "While a compromise has been made between the identity of the applicant and the identity of Bolton town centre, the appearance of the development is considered to be acceptable for this peripheral location, given the existing context. 

"The development will contribute to Bolton’s economic development by providing local businesses with an accessible location for storage and has the potential to be used by the expanding residential population of Bolton town centre," it adds.