First look inside Wellsprings Innovation Hub, Bolton works

The Mayor of Greater Manchester was speaking on a visit to The Wellsprings, the former home of The Bolton News, which is now being transformed into a new space for offices.

He said this is one of many such projects across Bolton Town Centre that will shift the area away from retail and toward housing and cultural facilities.

Mr Burnham said: “I think it's turning round, and the council is leading that in bringing in high quality cultural spaces.”

He added: “When you have cultural spaces, start up and office space right here in the heart of Bolton then that really will revive the town.

An outside view of the building opposite Bolton Town Hall (Image: Newsquest)

“I think we really have to accept that retail has changed and that the old way of doing things with department stores and the like isn’t likely to come back in the same way.

“It’s all about footfall, that’s what brings the shops and the businesses back.”

The Wellsprings, just opposite the town hall has been vacant for well over a year since The Bolton News moved to its new home at Knowsley House in the autumn on 2022.

Work is underway inside the building (Image: Newsquest)

Since then, works have been undertaken by Robertson Construction and Clear Futures across the building’s five floors to create new spaces for businesses, mainly in the digital sector.

Bolton had received around £8.5M from the government’s towns fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund to make the project possible.

Cllr Nick Peel, Andy Burnham and Cllr Akhtar Zaman outside the building (Image: Newsquest)

In July last year the council signed off around £2.85M from its own funds to add to the project after surveys suggested the site was neither airtight nor watertight, with asbestos present.

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But council leaders and developers hope that the finished office block, to be known as “The Wellsprings Innovation Centre” will dovetail with other nearby developments in remaking the town.

This includes projects like the Moor Lane, Central Street and Church Wharf housing developments, all underway around Bolton town centre.

Mr Burnham said: “The answer is mixed-use, high-quality offices and mixed-use residential developments.

“They will support new demographics and that will bring in restaurants, bars and more businesses as well.”

The Wellsprings Innovation Centre is expected to open in September this year.