Chorley Council has revealed that it is to invest £17m in the town’s centre to improve the existing retail and leisure provision.
The Market Walk shopping centre will get a seven-unit extension with the aim of bringing a new cinema, high street retailers and restaurants to the town. Lambert Smith Hampton and Mason & Partners have been appointed as joint agents to market the units, which together total 73,000 sq ft.
Manchester-based practice AEW Architects & Designers Ltd has designed the scheme, which Preston-based contractor Eric Wright Group will commence work on in the New Year.
Councillor Alistair Bradley, Leader of Chorley Council, which owns the shopping centre, said: “We have one of the fastest growing populations in the North West and are ideally located on the axis of the M6, M61 and M65 motorways so we have had a lot of interest in the units.
“We’re anticipating starting work on site in the New Year with roughly 80 per cent of the floor space close to being signed up on pre-lets – once we announce the tenants in the next few weeks we expect the remaining units will be filled very quickly.”
The £17 million investment will include £12.6 million for the Market Walk extension and associated works and a further £4 million being put towards improving the public realm.
The extension will be built adjacent to the existing 34-unit shopping centre, which itself will be fully occupied in the next few weeks.
“The investment in the town centre is just one of many major developments we have taking place across the borough with proposals for a digital health park and re-development of the iconic Botany Bay mill site in the pipeline,” said Councillor Bradley.
