A HUGE town centre shopping centre is set to be demolished, to make way for a mega redevelopment.
Built back in 1971, the iconic landmark will begin to be demolished in January 2026, with the work expected to last for the majority of the year.
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Crompton Place, in Bolton, was initially set for a £250 million redevelopment, but this was scrapped after the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is at present unclear what the site will turn in to, following the demolition, but Bolton Council leader Nick Peel told the BBC that the local authority has the funds to “better get an oven-ready development site ready for private developers to come in”.
Peel said that the site “represents is one of the biggest single inner town-centre development sites in the country”, and said that by the time it comes to the demolition, there should be an announcement on the site’s future.
“What we don’t want is a boarded-up unused building, which can be dangerous, subject to break-ins and all of that”, he said.
Peel revealed that the council is already in talks with three developers, who have “proven track records” of house building and regeneration delivery.
He added that the redevelopment will be “housing led” to reflect the fact that town centres are becoming “multi-use” due to the shift towards online shopping.
“That then generates its own local economy,” explained Peel, “because thousands of people moving into the town centre will have money to spend.
“They want shops, they want services, they want restaurants, they want a family-friendly night-time economy and all of those associated things.
“It is a proven economic model that does work.”
During the redevelopment process, which could take up to seven years, an area the size of two football pitches will have a “meanwhile use.”
Uses are likely to include space for outdoor events, large screens for sporting events, markets, food stalls and places to sit and relax.
Planning officers said that the purpose of this is “to ensure that activity levels on Victoria Square are maintained throughout the redevelopment of the site and to minimise the visual impact of the cleared site, including as it is redeveloped in phases.”
Crompton Place is currently empty after TimePiece, a family-run watch repair shop became the last shop to close earlier this year.
The shopping centre was originally an Arndale Centre but was renamed in 1989 after Bolton local Samuel Crompton, who invented the spinning mule.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”
The centre was purchased by the council in 2018 as part of its town centre regeneration project.
CBRE Executive Director, Adam White, said: “Situated in the heart of Bolton town centre and surrounded by the town’s rich heritage assets, vibrant amenities, and excellent transport links, the Crompton Place redevelopment is a cornerstone of the council and the Greater Manchester Mayor’s place-based regeneration strategy.
“The council is committed to enabling the site by facilitating the complete demolition of the outdated shopping centre and is seeking a best-in-class development partner to deliver a high-quality, inclusive, residential-led mixed-use scheme.
“The council has a proven track record in securing public sector financial support; and Crompton Place is a vital component of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s recently announced £10 billion investment plan.
