This week Bolton Council’s cabinet met to agree to a report looking to find a demolition contractor to carry out the works.

The meeting heard how assets are expected to be taken out of the building towards the end of March, followed by a 20-week asbestos removal process and then the actual demolition.

Bolton Council assistant director of development and regeneration Paul Whittingham said: “It will start in summer and is likely to be a 12-month contract, it could stretch a little bit longer than that.”

Crompton Place is set to be demolished to make way for a new development that the council envisages will be made up of a mixed-use scheme.

The cabinet meeting was held at Bolton Town Hall (Image: Newsquest)

This could include food and drink outlets, offices, more than 270 car parking spaces and even rooftop football pitches.

Mr Whittingham told the cabinet meeting that the anticipated development would involve the whole area and that a fulling planning application was expected in “early to mid-November.”

He said that this would prove to be key to the wider regeneration of the town centre.

Mr Whittingham said: “What happens after we demolish it? That’s a key consideration.

“We need to open up the route to Bradshawgate to begin to regenerate Bradshawgate.”

He added: “This isn’t about demolishing Crompton Place and waiting for a developer to come along and express and interest.

“By the time Crompton Place is demolished we want there to be a developer in place actively providing the council with options to develop it.”

On the timescales, Mr Whittingham was responding to questions put by opposition leader Cllr Martyn Cox about the anticipated date of demolition.

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Cllr Cox also asked about what kind of developer the council would work with on remaking the Crompton Place site.

Particularly, he asked whether the chosen developer would then be looking for a contractor to carry out building works or if the developer themselves would act as a contractor.

Cllr Cox said: “The record of doing this in the past has been somewhat sketchy.”

The council cabinet agreed to approve the report recommendations about finding a contractor.