Area
Regeneration in Bolton
Bolton regeneration: the town-centre masterplan, Crompton Place, Church Wharf and Rivington Chase, plus Farnworth's Pride in Place plan.
Research checked
The place
Bolton's regeneration covers the town centre and outlying districts including Farnworth, Horwich and Westhoughton. A town-centre masterplan is under way, with demolition cleared at Crompton Place ahead of a mixed-use scheme, and a phased land transfer for homes and a hotel at Church Wharf. In Horwich, the former Loco Works site at Rivington Chase is a long-standing priority for up to 1,700 homes across several housebuilders.
Who decides and delivers
Bolton Council leads planning and land decisions through Invest in Bolton and its Strategic Housing Unit, while the Greater Manchester Combined Authority channels funding through routes including the Brownfield Housing Fund. The Focus on Farnworth Neighbourhood Board shapes investment in Farnworth, one of two Pride in Place neighbourhoods alongside Breightmet North. Registered providers and developers active in the borough include Be One Homes, the borough's largest social landlord, Capital&Centric and Watson Homes.
What each edition tracks
Each quarterly briefing tracks the masterplan's progress, the pace of the two Pride in Place neighbourhoods and delivery against the borough's affordable housing need. It is dated to the day its research was checked, 19 September 2026 for this edition.
Current edition
Q3 2026
As at 19 September 2026
Funding, places and delivery. A briefing for the organisations bringing forward homes and regeneration across Bolton, Farnworth, Horwich and Westhoughton. Research checked 19 September 2026.
Regeneration projects in Bolton
Beyond the town centre, Farnworth Green has delivered 97 apartments and townhouses on brownfield land, and Moor Lane and Trinity Gateway are named among the pipeline's key development sites. Hexagon Park and NorthFold are longer-term employment and growth proposals alongside the masterplan. Croal Valley includes Central Street, a completed 167-home build-to-rent scheme by Placefirst. Confirm the phase and commissioning body before treating any of these as a single procurement opportunity.
Construction and housing funding in Bolton
National grant and finance decisions rest with Homes England and the National Housing Bank, while the Greater Manchester Combined Authority administers the Brownfield Housing Fund and the Economic Development Regeneration Flexible Grant. Neighbourhood-level funding runs through the Pride in Place programme, covering Farnworth and Breightmet North, plus a separate Pride in Place Impact Fund. Bolton Council is the accountable body for Farnworth's allocation and directs enquiries through Invest in Bolton and its Strategic Housing Unit.
Who decides regeneration in Bolton
Bolton Council sets local housing need and planning policy and controls council land, working with Muse and MEPC as private-sector partners on the town-centre masterplan and Crompton Place. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority shapes regional priorities and administers funding. The Focus on Farnworth Neighbourhood Board decides Farnworth's Pride in Place priorities, while Watson Homes and Capital&Centric deliver named housing schemes.
Questions about regeneration in Bolton
- What regeneration is happening in Bolton?
- Bolton Council is progressing a large town-centre masterplan alongside major schemes at Crompton Place, Church Wharf and Rivington Chase in Horwich. Farnworth Green has already delivered 97 homes, and further sites are planned at Moor Lane, Trinity Gateway and Croal Valley.
- How is construction and housing funded in Bolton?
- Funding reaches Bolton through Homes England's national programmes, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority's Brownfield Housing Fund and Economic Development Regeneration Flexible Grant, and the Pride in Place programme covering Farnworth and Breightmet North. Bolton Council is the accountable body for neighbourhood-level allocations.
- Who leads regeneration in Bolton?
- Bolton Council leads planning and land decisions through Invest in Bolton and its Strategic Housing Unit. The Focus on Farnworth Neighbourhood Board shapes Farnworth's priorities, and private partners including Muse, MEPC and Watson Homes deliver named schemes across the borough.
The Bolton handbook
Planning and building-regulations guidance for the area, published separately.
Directory inclusion
Local suppliers can enquire about a listing in a future edition.