Sean Harris is a man with a clear vision. As chief executive of Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council he is masterminding a strategy that will transform the town’s future.

“These are exciting times for Bolton and we are taking full advantage of the opportunities offered to us,” he said. “Clearly, it’s Bolton’s time. It is now a city in waiting and demonstrating its potential to reclaim its rightful position as one of the region’s true economic leaders.”

“Every town has its moment and this is Bolton’s. The town has development opportunities amounting to 55 hectares and regeneration and development of these sites will deliver an economic renaissance and real, lasting benefits to the town. These are exciting times and we are taking full advantage of the opportunities offered to us.”

Strong stuff from a council chief, but Harris has all the evidence to justify his confidence. In a well rehearsed presentation, he rattles off a long list of projects that will change the face of Bolton in, what he sees as, a “once in a generation” opportunity.

The £300 million Bolton Innovation Zone will see the expansion of the university, new college buildings and 30 hectares of commercial development space which is likely to include a mixture of high quality office space, leisure space, hotels and residential accommodation for students. “The Innovation Zone is a fantastic development and investment opportunity which will provide contemporary transport and community facilities, a major education hub and a collection of modern cultural facilities,” enthused Harris.

A new business quarter is planned for the 13-acre Church Wharf site in a joint development by Ask Developments and Bluemantle, who want to develop a £196 million high quality mixed use scheme. It would include more than 340,000 sq ft of new office space, almost 600 new homes, a leisure quarter featuring a six screen cinema, cafés, bars and restaurants, a new 80 bed hotel and new retail units.

Ken Knott, chief executive of Ask Developments, said: “This dynamic city-scale project will be a pivotal driver of Bolton’s broader regeneration ambitions to transform itself into a 21st century city.”

Tesco has confirmed that it plans to anchor the planned £110 million Central Street development by Wilson Bowden Developments which would include 350,000 sq ft of commercial space – including retail, leisure, residential – and an 810 space car park.

Already underway is the £90 million redevelopment of the Market Hall by Agora Shopping Centres Fund. This development will restore the listed Market Hall to its former glory and provide 100,000 sq ft of new, quality retail units.

Running parallel with this, Charles Topham Group is working on the redevelopment of 100,000 sq ft at the Merchant’s Place development.

Harris believes that Bolton is in an excellent position to attract occupiers looking for a base outside Manchester city centre after coming top in a survey to find the Greater Manchester town most attractive for investment and redevelopment.

“Bolton is currently in an excellent position to attract investors and occupiers looking for a base in the north Manchester area as it offers good prospects for rental growth, a growing supply of speculative office space, competitive workforce costs, skills and availability and excellent access to the motorway and rail networks,” he said. “The growing number of speculative office developments demonstrates both investor and developer confidence in the town and Bolton’s growing importance as a regional office centre.”

He also welcomes the massive investment in new schools and higher education centres. “Ultimately, this means we can give the people of Bolton more opportunities to take advantage of the growing prosperity we are working to create through the regeneration of the town centre,” he said.

Dave Jones, director of commercial banking for The Royal Bank of Scotland in Bolton, said that the town has shed its stereotypical image and had become much more sophisticated and business-led during the last few years. “The town has the fifth-fastest growing economy in the North West and, thanks to the regeneration schemes taking place throughout the borough, this growth is expected to continue,” he said.

“There have been occasions in the past where Bolton has been overlooked for investment in favour of places such as Preston and Manchester. However, this is no longer the case. Bolton has grown into a centre for commerce and investment thanks to several major development projects taking place throughout the borough.”

Jones said that he had seen a significant increase in the number of businesses attracted to the area. “The town was built upon manufacturing and this remains a key component of the local economy. However, there has also been significant growth in the retail leisure and service sectors,” he added.

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