New canal side cafe approved near Bolton's Creams Mill housing development

Watson Homes has received planning approval to construct a new canal-side café near an emerging housing development in Bolton. The hospitality development will be situated on land between Mytham Road and the Manchester, Bolton and Bury canal.

Bolton Council has approved plans for a single-storey canal-side café, complete with parking, outdoor seating, and nearby landscaping. The plans also include narrowing the adjacent canal.

The café will be located near Watson's 300-home Creams Mill development, which is currently under construction. A spokesperson for Creams Mill Bolton said: "We submitted plans in April which have now been approved. The café will provide the perfect meet up spot for friends and family and an opportunity to meet fellow residents"."

"Just off the canal, the café will feature outdoor seating for customers to embrace the natural scenery at Creams Mill. "Along with construction career opportunities, we are also creating hospitality employment opportunities for the community."

Watson said in its application that the café would support the equivalent of four full-time jobs., reports the Manchester Evening News.

Despite the initial refusal of planning permission by Bolton Council for the housing scheme, Watson emerged victorious in an appeal, with the planning inspectorate giving the green light to the plans in early 2023. Watson made a case for the project as a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to rejuvenate the canal and provide affordable homes, arguing these were the 'very special circumstances' needed to justify development in the green belt.

The project has since been nominated in the 'Best Housing Scheme (fewer than 500 homes)' category at the Planning Awards.