Health Innovation Bolton is largest site covered in council proposals
Bolton council wants to develop three areas which are currently green belt.
Their draft plan identifies the main areas where up to 14,052 new homes and a minimum of 135,099 sq m of industrial space is to be built before 2042.
Health Innovation Bolton (HIB) is the largest site earmarked to be taken out of the green belt. It is a large area of land between Royal Bolton Hospital and the M61 where it is proposed 1,895 homes and 40,839 sq ft of employment space will be created.
Another current green belt area within the draft plans is described as the Blackrod employment cluster, which is green land close to the village’s railway station. It is allocated for 44,800 sq m of employment space.
The third potential area of green belt to disappear is an extension to the Logistics North industrial park, just off the M61, near Over Hulton. That would accommodate between 30,000 to 80,000 sq m of employment space and possibly some housing.
A council cabinet report states that there are ‘two mixed use sites’ in the plan.
It said: “Health Innovation Bolton is a health innovation district combining housing with employment located with the hospital and the University of Greater Manchester medical school, creating high-quality jobs across healthcare, education, research, innovation, manufacturing and supporting sectors and the Logistics North extension floorspace is expressed as a range because it may include an element of housing to the west, reflecting its position between Logistics North and neighbouring residential areas.”
The report identifies a need for 14,052 housing units to be built during the period of the plan. Sites which already enjoy planning permission make up 4,976 of that number.
Additional strategic and ‘key housing allocations’ identify another 5,715 new homes. They are made up of Crompton Place (340), Health Innovation Bolton (1,895), Anchor Lane, Farnworth (460), Lee Hall (1,450), Ditchers Farm, Westhoughton (570) and Burnden Way, Middlebrook (1,000).
The report said the remainder of the home build target would be met by strategic housing and employment land availability assessment sites (1,741) and windfall sites (1,600).
The report contains a section titled ‘Brownfield Prioritisation and Green Belt’. It said: “Brownfield regeneration remains the priority and the first source of supply, and regenerating the town centre in particular is the starting point for the plan.
“Crompton Place is allocated because of its prominent location and should not be read as the only site that will come forward.
“The green belt boundary was established by Places for Everyone.
“This plan alters it only in exceptional circumstances, to meet identified development needs that cannot be met elsewhere.
“All available sources of supply have been assessed, and the needs cannot be met on brownfield or other non-green belt land within the borough.”
If the cabinet approves the proposals at its meeting on Monday, September 28, the draft local plan will go out for public consultation. Following that period, the representations received and assessment will be reported to council in December. At that stage approval to submit the local plan will be sought.
An inspector appointed by the Secretary of State from the Planning Inspectorate will then test the plan’s legal compliance and soundness at public hearings, expected during 2027.
The council said that timetable depends on the Planning Inspectorate’s capacity, with a large number of authorities, including several Greater Manchester districts, expected to submit in December.
Earlier this month, an agreement was signed by partners hoping to bring forward Health Innovation Bolton, the largest green belt allocation in the draft local plan. Partners said it would ‘create a new neighbourhood’ and transform much of the south of Bolton.
The agreement was between organisations including Bolton council, Peel Land and the hospital trust, which would have a capital investment of £520M.
The group said a public consultation on the scheme will take place in 2027 ahead of any planning application.








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