Consultation launched on proposals to help bring new link road, public park, homes, community facilities and jobs to Westhoughton

Peel Land today announces plans that would accelerate the delivery of much-needed new infrastructure, employment space and homes in Westhoughton, Bolton, alongside its long-term vision for a world-leading golf destination at Hulton Park.

It is bringing forward a planning application for a development called Lee Hall, which includes the proposed Park Avenue link road, a c.15-acre public park, up to 1,450 homes, around 25,000 square metres of employment space and a wide range of community facilities, including a care home, school and health centre.

Consultation on the plans opens today (September 29) and runs to October 13.   The consultation website is at leehallconsultation.co.uk, where residents can have their say on the proposed scheme.

Lee Hall will be a key contributor to the delivery of the NorthFold initiative to deliver 9,000 new homes and significant employment spaces in Bolton and Wigan by 2035. It supports Bolton Council’s housing delivery targets and the Government’s national growth and house building agenda.

The need to provide homes and upgrade road links to the east of Westhoughton was identified over 50 years ago, as part of an ‘east wing’ of the town. This was included in the 1968 Master Plan for Westhoughton and has featured in several other plans since then but remains undelivered. It is not Green Belt land.

The Lee Hall proposals will fulfil this long-standing vision, delivering new homes, workspaces, and a wide range of community infrastructure which will provide major benefits for existing and future residents.

The plans also include the land allocated in Greater Manchester Combined Authority's Places for Everyone (PfE) strategy for employment floorspace at Junction 5 of the M61 motorway. The delivery of this site will provide hundreds of new jobs and business growth opportunities, including for existing local businesses.

Nick Graham, Associate Planning Director at Peel Land said: "In the period since the previous planning decision for Hulton Park in 2022, the need for investment in new jobs, homes and infrastructure has become ever more urgent. The Government has a clearer and stronger commitment to growth and opportunities for infrastructure funding investment are now emerging.

"We are therefore bringing forward a scheme called Lee Hall, which includes some parts of the previous Hulton Park project – homes, the Park Avenue link road and a wide range of community and environmental infrastructure – to be delivered separately from but alongside the wider Hulton Park golf project.

“Hulton Park remains a leading potential English candidate venue for the Ryder Cup and Peel continues to work with the Ryder Cup organisers with the support of Bolton Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority to progress the opportunity.  Further updates will be given on the Hulton Park golf and restoration proposals in the coming months."

He added: "Much of this area is covered by the extant Hulton Park planning permission, but we are now splitting out and accelerating investment in the delivery of the link road, supported by new jobs, homes and community facilities.

“The plans aim to address the congestion at Chequerbent Roundabout which has been raised for many years as an ongoing problem for local residents and with the added opportunity to facilitate economic growth in the wider NorthFold growth corridor by delivering the Bolton end of that strategic link from the M61 to the M6."

In addition to facilitating the Park Avenue link, the proposed development could include:

·        Affordable and family homes to meet local needs, in line with national and local policy

·        Employment spaces including for local businesses

·        A new public park for Westhoughton, which could include a diverse range of facilities for children such as a pump track/ skate park/splash park/ bouldering or other ideas. This will connect Hall Lee Bank Park and communities in Westhoughton to the Hulton Park Estate with new routes, trails and accessible green spaces that are not presently available

·        A new youth hub for local groups, charities and clubs

·        Potential for a new primary school and contributions to school places

·        A c.70-bed care home

·        Health and wellbeing facilities

·        Neighbourhood retail opportunities

·        Improved Public Rights of Way and c.6.4 km of cycleways

·        New open space and sports facilities

·        New allotments

·        Opportunities for public art, to be designed in collaboration with local artists, schools and other community groups

Following the consultation, feedback will be analysed and reflected in the planning application which will then be submitted to Bolton Council later this year, which will then undertake a statutory consultation ahead of making a decision in 2026.