Regeneration plans for Farnworth scaled back due funding

Plans to overhaul Farnworth town centre with a £50m regeneration project have been altered significantly by the developers.

Original plans were submitted in March by Capital and Centric who propose to build around 220 new homes and 3,200 square meters of commercial space with funding from the government's 'Future High Street Fund'.

But developers say that the amount of funding received from this scheme is lower than anticipated, leading them to scale back the plans in order to properly deliver them.

A statement by architecture firm BDP on behalf of Capital and Centric (C&C) explains that the decision was made by C&C in collaboration with Bolton Council to "to reassess the level of development proposed" in "light of confirmation of the funds available".

(Capital and Centric)

They said: "Rather than delivering the original proposal to a lower quality (in terms of both design and materials), a reduction in the total quantum of development, both in terms of floorspace and the number of units, will ensure that the vision of delivering a high quality scheme will still come forward.

"In amending the proposal, we have ensured that the spirit of the original scheme remains. This amended proposal also takes into consideration the comments and consultation responses from stakeholders and statutory consultees received during the application process and, where applicable, seeks to address as many of these as possible."

A design and access statement from C&C added: "The vision to remains unchanged; to transform the heart of Farnworth into a mixed-use community with homes centred on a public square recreating the market town, with a linear park and new active ground floors and streets."

The development has been reduced to now include 'up to 120' residential units instead of the originally proposed 220 as well as a reduction in the total amount of commercial area from 3,200 square metres to 2,200 square metres.

(Capital and Centric)

The Community Hub has been relocated from being a standalone feature building to being in the ground floor of another plot with a smaller food and beverage pavilion also proposed.

The Main Square has also been ‘greened’, with a larger planted/grassed landscaping, creating a parkland setting.

Sizing of the commercial buildings and the residential blocks have been reduced as part of the new plans.

The four and five storey apartments have been reduced to two/three storey "back-to-back" family dwellings with another plot on the corner of the square changed from five to three storeys and increased in length.

'Plot E' where the community hub will now be based has been amended from three storeys to a single storey with its "footprint reduced".

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