A £12m link road scheme in Horwich has been given the green light by Bolton Council as part of the £262m Rivington Chase regeneration site
The link road scheme in Horwich will connect the town centre and Chorley New Road to Middlebrook retail park, Horwich railway station, and the M61 via the new Rivington Chase development.
The road is seen as a crucial part of the former Horwich Loco Works regeneration scheme. It will unlock the site, enable better access, and relieve pressure on other roads.
Alongside the link road scheme in Horwich, there will be extensive open spaces for residents of Rivington Space and Horwich to enjoy, including cycle paths, footpaths and green spaces.
The 150-acre Rivington Chase housing development, led by property developer Bluemantle, was approved for planning in 2015. It comprises 1,700 houses, as well as employment, leisure, retail, and green space.
The link road is a crucial part of the development’s success, required to unlock the site and integrate it fully into the surrounding infrastructure.
Expected to be fully operational by 2021, the road itself will provide the area with vital infrastructure, taking the pressure off congested roads and addressing local concerns about traffic density, particularly on Chorley New Road.
The development of the site will bring substantial financial investment into the Horwich area, generating up to 1,500 jobs on site and another 320 during construction.
Bluemantle, chief executive Mark Caldwell, said: “This is a huge leap forward for the Rivington Chase site and the link road will help realise the ambition to deliver the rest of the masterplan.
“This regeneration project is turning dilapidated brownfield land into much-needed homes, alongside retail, business, leisure and green space for the whole community to enjoy. Sites like this as key in helping to protect Horwich and Bolton’s greenbelt from overdevelopment.
“Alongside this, the link road will help ease congestion in and around the area and improve the infrastructure for the whole of Horwich and wider areas.”
Deputy leader of Bolton Council, councillor Martyn Cox, added: “This link road stands to benefit the whole community, and will make Horwich a fantastic place to live and work. We have listened to resident concerns about access to the site and this link road not only improves traffic flow and infrastructure across the area, it also provides cycle lanes, dedicated footpaths and open spaces for the community.”
The planning application for the link road scheme in Horwich was a joint application made by Alpha Investments NW and Bolton Council with planning support from Avison Young, Cass Associates and RPS Group.
