Bolton's Regen Project Hit Snag: £15M Funding Delay

0:00On March 30, Bolton's Townsend to Region Project hit a massive snag, folks. Was started as a 20 million pound leveling up grant approved back in 2023, just got a 15 million pound contract signed this. Month over two years later, the cash aims to revamp Marketplace and the Mons Crescent to draw in shoppers and visitors. Plans shifted during talks with the government, dropping a hotel from the Mons Crescent. The left over 5 million pounds got reassigned to other local spots and the funds will roll out over the next two years. Opposition voices are fired up. Former council leader Martin Cox called the delay outrageous, saying bids like his shouldn't drag on this long. Residents echoed that, 73-year-old Ian Johnstone laid with its scandalous, with the center feeling like a ghost town amid empty shops like the old marks and Spencer spot. Meanwhile, other region efforts are picking up steam. The council plans to demolish Crompton Place Mall this summer, plus progress on far and worth green, more lane, and the Bolton Institute of Medical Sciences.

1:04The government revamped the leveling up setup into a local regeneration fund for more council control, already dishing out 57 million pounds burrow-wide. As Bolton eyes big bids like the Ryder Cup, this fresh cash could spark that long awaited turnaround.