'BRAND Bolton' will be splashed across shops in a town centre street under bold new plans costing up to £3 million to turn it into a ‘European style boulevard’.

As part of a scheme to revamp Newport Street, town hall bosses are looking to paint it the colours of the Bolton logo — which features on the town’s signs, council documents and vans — to regenerate the thoroughfare.

Improvements to the street will see benches, trees and the three elephant statues stripped away as the stretch is repaved.

Keith Davies, director of development and regeneration at Bolton Council, said negotiations are under way with the landlords of the shop units to gather support for the scheme, which was improved in principle back in 2013.

He said: “Painting the colours of the Bolton brand is an option for us – we think it is a good option that helps with that identity of place.

“The brand is something that is strong and well-established, and I think it is a good way forward.”

Up to £2 million has been set aside to upgrade the shopfronts, to create a ‘seamless’ link across the units, match the style of each facade, and to spruce the entrance of the run-down arcade.

The remaining money will be spent repaving the street as part of the town centre strategy – which meant the loss of the charity canopy back in October.

Manchester company JM Architects, who were appointed in July to come up with a design, looked to the spa city Bath for inspiration.

The area surrounding Newport Street is in the midst of a facelift, with building work on the new £48 million Bolton Interchange progressing, and the resurfacing of Victoria Square, Hotel Street and Mealhouse Lane now complete.

Mr Davies said that, by linking the redevelopment of Newport Street in with the creation of the Interchange, more people will travel down the street, which will lead to more business in the town centre.

He added: “We know Newport Street is an area that needs regeneration.

“What drives business investment is a level of footfall, and what we have set out to do is support creating the right kind of atmosphere.

“It is a case of making it a more attractive area of the town centre and we have been clear that the public was looking for this kind of regeneration for some time.”

While the council will pick up the bill for the redevelopment, it will be up to the landlords to maintain the buildings — and under a legal agreement, they could be taken to court if they fail to keep it tidy.

In December, plans were also submitted for s £6.5 million office development at the junction of Great Moor Street and Newport Street.

The design for Newport Street will have to be signed off by councillors, with a planning application due to be submitted at the end of January.

THE BOLTON BRAND

IN 2005, Bolton Council commissioned a report to see how they could create a ‘brand’ for the borough, following requests from the town’s business community.

After quizzing local residents, potential investors and visitors to the town, the consultants came up with the idea of the ‘Bolton Family’ — the fundamental principle that everything Bolton does should match up to, or reinforce.

To convey that sentiment, the colour scheme for town was developed to be used on promotional material for Bolton, on street signage and stationery for the council.

When asked what colours they associated with Bolton, young people picked bright colours to reflect the town’s vibrancy, while the older generations chose heritage colour, reflecting the town’s rich history, and soft colours as a visual representation of Bolton’s friendliness.

All are included in the brand, reflecting Bolton’s ‘DNA’.