PLANS to transform Bolton town centre have been put on hold due to the coronavirus crisis.

A decision over the future of Crompton Place shopping centre and Victoria Square is set to be postponed due to lockdown measures preventing public meetings.

Council leader David Greenhalgh said it would be “inconceivable” for major decisions regarding regeneration of the town to be made at this time.

He said: “Bolton Council will ensure that no major planning decisions are made without the appropriate level of democratic involvement and scrutiny and planning officers will continue to do their best to progress planning applications as efficiently as possible.

“Anyone objecting to planning applications will be given the same opportunity to submit objections as previously and these will be taken fully into account, just as they would have been before the current pandemic”.

Property developers BCEGI and Midia are behind the plans to rebuild Crompton Place shopping centre which were revealed earlier this year.

The major development includes new retail and dining space, pedestrian streets and public realm land in front of the town hall.

There would also be new office space, high-quality homes and a hotel at the Victoria Square site, if the plans go ahead.

Town hall planners are due to consider representations about this proposal which have been made to the council by the end of this week.

The planning committee was expected to meet later this month to vote on whether to approve the application.

Cllr Greenhalgh has promised that the decision will not be made behind closed doors by planning officers in the absence of the committee meeting.

But Bolton and District Civic Trust is urging the developers to withdraw the application in light of the coronavirus crisis.

Stuart Whittle wrote to the council leader on behalf of the heritage group.

He said: “We cannot stress enough how damaging the current proposals would be to this critical site at the very heart of our town centre – irreparable damage that would be with us for the rest of the 21st century.

“They may be an ‘architect’s dream’, but in reality they represent serious and insensitive over-development and have no regard for their context in terms of the relationship with our much-loved, listed Town Hall, Victoria Square and the surrounding buildings and Bradshawgate.

“We therefore request that you hold urgent discussions with the Director of Place to see how this matter can be resolved in the best interests of the people of Bolton.”

Bolton Civic and District Trust is calling on the council to rethink its £1.5bn masterplan and focus its regeneration strategy on making the town centre “cleaner, greener, safer and friendlier”.

Members of the public can make their own representations about this application, reference 07954/20, to the council’s planning department.