A bid for £25 million from the ‘Towns Fund’ toward a regeneration project in Bolton has been finalised the council leader saying he will be “very, very surprised” if the application is not successful.
The Greater Manchester borough of Bolton was announced as one of the 101 towns across the UK which would be eligible for support from the government’s £3.6 billion ‘Towns Fund’, which was announced back in September 2019.
The fund intends to drive the economic regeneration of towns to deliver long-term economic growth.
If Bolton’s finalised application can convince the government of the scheme’s value for money, the borough could have up to £25m allocated to it, which will need to be spent by the end of March 2026, according to the Bolton News.
The borough has already received £1 million in advance funding and a decision on the rest is expected before the end of the year.
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Each town nominated for funding is required to establish a Town Deal Board – which is the body through which the vision and strategy for the town is defined – and the board must be chaired by a representative of the local business community.
The Bolton board has now finalised its priority schemes for the bid, while rejecting others.
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Among the schemes which have been put forward in the finalised Bolton regeneration plan are for The Wellness Centre to have a high-end spa and leisure facility next to the already-planned Le Mans Hotel in the heart of the town centre.
Bolton Council say this luxury spa is intended to “draw in day visitors” to the town.
Speaking at a council cabinet meeting – which approved the bid this week – Bolton Council leader David Greenhalgh, said: “Everything is positive so far. We already been allocated £1m to get proposals up and running and we should hear back by end of the year.
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“The government want to see development happen very quickly with timescales starting in March and April.”
The ‘Towns Fund’ bid is said to be entirely separate from the £100m investment planned for elsewhere the town centre over the next decade – which is to go toward leisure and culture, office and residential development – and the council hopes it will be combined with up to £1bn of private sector investment.
When challenged by opposition leader Nick Peel on what Bolton Council’s ‘plan B’ was if the funding was denied, Cllr Greenhalgh responded: “The Towns Fund is an important part of our regeneration plans but not the whole picture. It’s not an either or within the main regeneration plans – All our eggs are not in one basket.
“These words could come back to haunt me, but I shall be very, very surprised if we don’t get some proportion of our bid for the towns fund.
“If it doesn’t happen, it won’t mean these plans will go to waste.
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“We will have some very good schemes built up, oven ready as you may want to call them, to move ahead whenever any more grants come together whether from Greater Manchester or government.”
Other schemes forming part of the bid include another priority project to improve pedestrian connections to the transport interchange, Le Mans Crescent and Newport Street, all in and around the town centre, and a third scheme could see further extension and upgrade to Bolton’s Central Museum and Art Gallery to “provide an improved destination and focal point to the civic quarter”.
Among the schemes left out of the proposal are plans to redevelop Elizabeth House.
This is said to be due to Bolton Council not being in ownership of the building and “the case for public intervention at this time is unclear”.
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Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into foul-mouthed chaos
Danny Jones
The first press conference ahead of Tommy Fury vs Darren Till was held on Tuesday evening and it didn’t take long for the whole thing to descend into absolute bedlam.
Having only been confirmed on Sunday, Fury vs Till will be a homecoming bout for the Wythenshawe-born fighter who is set to headline the first-ever boxing match at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.
With the date set for 18 January, the pre-fight build-up and media frenzy are growing fast and things have already come to ahead in just the first meeting between the two fighters in London this week.
Clearly sharing plenty of bad blood already, while Tommy and Till were engaging in the usual fighting talk, the family patriarch, John Fury, decided to interject and it was at this point that things boiled over.
‼️ Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into chaos as Till tells John Fury: "Shut up, you haven't been seen since Oleksandr Usyk battered Tyson."
As you can see, amidst the various insults being thrown around regarding intelligence, boxing ability, Tommy’s older brother Tyson being “battered by [Oleksandr] Usyk”, ‘Big John’ then launches a bottle of water across the table at Till, sparking a hot-tempered on-stage skirmish.
The lengthy exchange features as many expletives as you could imagine, with 31-year-old Darren Till also threatening that he will “bladder” both Tommy and his more established heavyweight sibling Tyson, labelling the entire Fury family “shithouses” as they walk out of the London press conference.
A mixed martial artist by trade who has competed at both welterweight and middleweight in the UFC, Till assured that even if the boxing match isn’t going his way on the night, he will kick [him] square in [the] face”, adding that he’s a “proper fighter” and that Tommy, on the other hand, has no power.
YouTube turned musician and occasional boxer, KSI – the founder of the Misfits promotion who is putting on the event and who Fury beat back in October last year – can also be heard whooping from centre stage and shouting, “Get your tickets!”
Even after the mini-brawl is separated, the foul-mouthed back and forth continues for some time. You can see another angle here:
Press conference aftermath 🤯@darrentill2 was going IN on the Fury’s 😳
This isn’t the first time things have boiled over at a Fury press conference; in fact, it’s not even the first time John Fury, 59, has found himself in the very eye of the storm.
Meanwhile, the youngest Fury son is preparing first his first fight in over a year, having nearly joined this year’s I’m a Celeb lineup instead.
Tickets for the now highly-anticipated boxing match at Co-op Live, just the second combat sports event to have been held at the arena, are on sale now – you can grab yours HERE. It’s going to be a feisty one.
Festive Grinch-themed cafes to pop up inside Greater Manchester Primark stores
Emily Sergeant
Festive Grinch-themed cafes are popping up inside two of Primark’s biggest Greater Manchester stores in the run-up to Christmas.
As the temperatures turn colder by the day, the nights draw in, and the most wonderful time of the year nears closer and closer, it won’t be long before it’s time to snuggle up in our comfies and pop on the first Christmas film of the year – and for some of us, there’s a good chance that first film of choice will be The Grinch.
Whether you prefer the 2000 fantasy comedy starring Jim Carey, or the 2018 animated reboot with Benedict Cumberbatch, it’s undoubtedly a real family favourite.
To celebrate everyone’s favourite grumpy green grouch, Primark has teamed up with Dr. Seuss once again on a Grinch-tastic collaboration.
Shoppers can now head to their nearest Primark store to find the largest-ever Grinch collection, with something for the whole family, as well as great gifting options said to be “ideal for getting into the anti-Christmas spirit”.
There’s Grinch pyjamas and slippers for both adults and kids, a Grinch ‘Onesie’ that’s sure to make people green with envy, Grinch drinks cups and mugs, a selection of loungewear and Christmas jumpers for festive dressing, and so much more, as well as whole host of Grinch-inspired outfits and toys for your four-legged friends too.
As part of Primark’s aim to offer affordable choices for everyone, prices for the Grinch collection start at just £1 for accessories, and go up to £24 for adult clothing.
If the return of the Grinch collection wasn’t exciting enough as it is, the all-new Grinch cafes – which are popping up in Primark on Market Street in Manchester city centre, as well as Primark in Trafford Palazzo – are bound to be hit with fans of the furry character.
There’s everything from green waffles and themed milkshakes, to festive toasties, hot drinks, and more on the menu.
With Greater Manchester Grinch cafes set to be open until the end of December, Sarah Jackson – who is the Director of Licensing at Primark, said: “We’re so excited to roll out our amazing cafe experience across a number of our UK locations, bringing a sprinkle of mischief to our customers this festive season.
“Whether you’re stopping in for a sweet treat or stocking up on pyjamas and gifts for the whole family, we have everything you need to make it a truly unforgettable Grinch-mas.”