Massive new three-storey railway-side office block set for Middlebrook

A massive three-storey office block is set to be built close to the railway line at Middlebrook. Orbit Investments, who operate The Parklands commercial park, close to the Bolton Wanderers stadium, have submitted plans in the past week to build a ninth block at their site, which is just south of Horwich Parkway station, off De Havilland Way.

The block would contain 3,891 sqm of office floorspace, increasing the capacity of the entire Parklands area by more than 10 per cent. Current occupiers at the park include include NatWest, AXA Insurance, Keoghs, E.on, AO.com, Bond Turner, AG Barr, ISS, Premex, NHS, Hitachi and Royal Mail.

The proposed block would be built the south west of the existing office building, 3 The Parklands, and to the west of the multi-storey car park, which includes a self-storage business. The Spirit of Sport sculpture is placed at the principal entrance to the park.

Documents published by Bolton Council in support of the scheme, said: “The planning application involves the erection of a three-storey office building, parking provision and associated works. It would have 198 car parking spaces allocated to it and also includes provision for five cycle stands (10 cycle spaces) and three motorcycle spaces.

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“The scale and height of the proposed office building is consistent with the buildings within the surrounding area. The proposed office building would consist of grey cladding panels and blue facing brick.”

The mixed use Middlebrook development now extends to more than 200 acres. It markets itself as ‘the largest integrated and sustainable employment, leisure, sports and retail scheme in the country’.

The plans for the block will be decided by planners at Bolton Council once a neighbour consultation on the proposals is finished.