It's a really exciting time to be living and working in Bolton. This Greater Manchester town has benefitted from huge investment over recent years and looks set to be fully regenerated under a large-scale plan by 2030. The town centre and surrounding areas are earmarked for extra funding to create jobs, housing and social opportunities. Now is a great time to invest in Bolton, whether you’re thinking of moving to the area, buying to let or establishing your own business here.
What’s planned?
The Town Centre Masterplan aims to deliver £1 billion of investment over the next few years. The council has supported the development of
Logistics North, an enormous scheme providing over 4 million sq ft of space for commercial employers that has already attracted big names like
Amazon, Lidl, Aldi and Whistl. There are units available for new investors to snap up now, and there will be more available later this year as phase 3 kicks in. The units are located close to the M60, M61 and M62, and there is a country park being developed as part of the site, making it a beautiful place to work.
Bolton is also home to Middlebrook, a huge retail and leisure complex right next door to Bolton Wanderers FC’s home ground. In the town centre, the retail sector is a major industry and yet more investment (to the tune of £27 million) has been put into the Market Place to modernise and extend it.
Redevelopment is also in the pipeline for several of Bolton’s iconic, historical landmarks and public buildings including the Albert Halls, Octagon Theatre and Bolton Museum, which will all see cosmetic and structural improvements to bring them into the 21st Century without losing any of their charm and aesthetic appeal.
Major industries
Historically, Bolton was a mill town, famous for its textiles. Now, it has several major industries that make this a truly thriving place to do business. The
University of Bolton is a major employer and is rapidly expanding: new halls of residence planned for the town centre to accommodate an increased student population will bring more business to the town across all sectors, and the University itself forms part of the Innovation Zone alongside Bolton Sixth Form College and Bolton College which has seen the creation and expansion of several centres of excellence including the National Centre for Motorsport Engineering.
Aside from education and retail, Bolton is a veritable hub of management expertise. The Institute of Management is based here, right next to the brand new £50 million transport exchange.
Work-life balance
So, if you’re planning to move to Bolton, there are plenty of opportunities to secure employment or to establish your business. The town is also a really pleasant place to live: the
locals are friendly and there is a good mix of leisure activities on offer so you'll have lots of things to do during your free time.
There’s a
wealth of parkland in and around the town and plenty of sports and recreational facilities: the council has invested heavily in developing tourism and leisure to make it an attractive place to live and visit and there are several annual events you can enjoy, such as the Bolton Food and Drink Festival and the Ironman UK race.
Looking to the future
There is ongoing
investment in areas such as Trinity Quarter (hotels, offices and parking), Cheadle Square (offices and residential buildings), Crompton Place (shopping and leisure), Croal Valley (car parking and office space) and Church Wharf (hotels, housing and retail/leisure). These developments are set to be completed by 2030. The abundant supply of housing, offices and commercial units will naturally mean lower prices, so now is a great time to invest in this area.
Thinking of moving?
If you’re considering moving to live and/or work in Bolton, we have
two storage facilities within easy reach of the town centre. Choose whichever store is more convenient for you, and let us look after your belongings until you’re settled in your new home or business premises.