A NEW cinema, a smaller shopping area, and plans to turn Bolton into the main hub for town centre offices in north Greater Manchester are among radical plans to stave off the threat of online retail.

The Greater Manchester Planning and Housing Commission has conducted a study into Greater Manchester’s eight main town centres and produced an action plan of how they can join forces against the threat of online retail and out-of-town developments.

The study examined the strengths and weaknesses of Altrincham, Ashton, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Wigan and produced a list of recommendations.

Bolton town centre should become the focus for town centre office and commercial development for the north of Greater Manchester, as it has strong transport links and is close to Bolton’s university and colleges, which are a source of skilled labour.

The report said retail should be focused on a smaller area around Bolton market and town centre shopping centres, and it also backed the development of town centre housing.

Suggestions included encouraging ethnically diverse town centre businesses, such as restaurants and cafes, increasing the number of independent retailers — including business sites based around Bolton’s “knowledge quarter” — and encouraging family- friendly leisure developments such as a town centre cinema, with a number of cinema firms having already expressed interest.

It called for improvements to Newport Street and for more support to diversify Bolton’s night time economy along Bradshawgate, including events like comedy nights, music and poetry to appeal to the town centre’s large student population.

The report found a number of existing strengths in Bolton, including: l The Knowledge Quarter. The report said locating the university, Bolton College, and Bolton One within the town centre Innovation Zone has led to increased footfall to and from the town centre.

l Bolton Market, has a strong customer base and played a role in nurturing new retail businesses.

l Victoria Square, which it described as “an attractive public space” was well utilised by the council to stage events and attract visitors.

It also said transport links were good — highlighting a 12 minute train service to Manchester and a direct connection to Manchester Airport — and said there were strong links between the council and the retail sector.

But it also highlighted a number of problems, including: l Direct competition from close proximity to Middlebrook out-of-town retail and office area, which it said was “considered by many as the primary investment location” in the north of Greater Manchester.

l A lack of family leisure facilities with the absence of quality restaurants and only “narrowly focused” night-time economy along Bradshawgate.

l The large size of the retail area, including several ‘edge of centre’ retail parks, which it said do not integrate easily with the core of the town centre.

l A reduced regional profile, despite successful marketing campaigns in the past.

Town centres are ranked for their retail offers and only Bolton, Bury and Oldham had improved in the past 10 years, with Bolton ranked 66th nationally and fifth in the North West after Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Chester.

It was also the 41st most “at risk”, lower than all the others except for Wigan — ranked at 137th — which the report said was because it was more remote than the other Greater Manchester town centres.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is due to consider the report on Friday, where it could approve the creation of a new town centre fund to help implement some of the recommendations.

Keith Davies, Bolton Council’s director of development and regeneration, said the next move would be to implement a further study on what Bolton could offer in terms of offices to help entice would-be occupiers.

He added: “The report is basically saying we’ve been doing the right things. Town centres have always been an important place for people to gather.

“Go out in Bolton town centre on any day of the week and you will see people gathering and it’s about providing the right environment for people to do that.

“Bringing people into the town centre for office work or to live is what the future will look like, not just in Bolton but for town centres in general.”

Cllr Cliff Morris, leader of Bolton Council, said: “This places us in a good position to address the challenges facing the town centre in the future.

“The report contains some suggestions for improving the town centre, many of which we are already implementing and others will be addressed in the coming months.”