Originally due to open in 2021 – the two kilometre stretch near the Middlebrook retail park has no opening date set
16:06, 15 Aug 2025Updated 16:28, 15 Aug 2025
Work towards adoption has stopped on a section of the Rivington Chase link road
Work on the final part of a long overdue new link road at one of the UK’s largest brownfield development sites has stopped after a land deal expired.
The two kilometre road, at the Rivington Chase development in Horwich, promised to ease congestion at the chronically clogged Chorley New Road and the Beehive roundabout and act as a catalyst for development.
When open, the link road will connect Horwich town centre and Chorley New Road to Middlebrook retail park, Horwich railway station, and the M61.
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It will emerge near to the Middlebrook Next superstore, close to Bolton Wanderers’ Toughsheet stadium.
However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands a section of the final phase of the spine road near Middlebrook has reverted back to its original owners after a five year land agreement with developers Novo Blue Mantle (NBM) expired in May.
The original deal signed in May 2020 allowed NBM five years to finish the road and have it adopted by Bolton Council.
In May 2025 that deal expired and the land reverted back to the previous owners on a 958 year lease.
Road enabling works at the former Horwich Locomotive Works site (Image: D Morgan PLC)
The section of the road affected is currently fenced off with ‘private land’ signs blocking access as the landowner has been advised by insurers that work there cannot continue without a furtherance of the land licence or a purchase of the land.
A source close to the landowners of the road, said: “It’s lackadaisical beyond belief.
“Someone’s going to have to start a process here. The leaseholder is going to be guided by lawyers.
“The council may have to get involved to do a compulsory purchase but legal advice is they should have done that before they started working the road and to do it at the end of the process it creates all kinds of problems for everyone.
“The process could take a year and a half.”
He said that no one from Bolton Council or NBM had been in touch to discuss any process to transfer control of the road since the council was first contacted in June.
A director from developers NBM said: “Rivington Chase is a large and complex brownfield development site with significant challenges in terms of planning, remediation and multiple ownerships.
“More than 1,000 residential units including 173 affordable homes are currently completed or under construction.
“We are engaged in ongoing dialogue with the leaseholder of a section of the final phase of the spine road adjacent to Middlebrook to reach a resolution over the issue of the adoption.
“While this may lead to it fully opening later than anticipated, we are confident that a solution will be found that won’t disrupt the overall site programme.
“We are looking forward to providing an update to the local community on this programme in the next few months.
“This will include timescales for the opening and adoption of the other key sections of the road network across the former Loco Works and potential options for additional traffic improvements in the area.”
An aerial view of the link road close to Middlebrook (Pic: Novo Blue Mantle)
When planning permission was granted in 2019, NBM said the road was ‘expected to be fully operational by 2021’.
They said: “The link road will help ease congestion in and around the area and improve the infrastructure for the whole of Horwich and wider areas.”
Originally, a £12 million grant was secured by Bolton Council from Homes England to build it.
The work was affected by the Covid pandemic and later inflationary pressures in the construction industry.
Those issues have seen costs rocket to around the £19M mark.
A fresh potential opening date of the road was mentioned in a report by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority scrutiny committee last October entitled ‘Delivering the Bee Network’.
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The report outlined prospective changes to bus operations in Horwich following the road’s inauguration.
It said: “The 576 service will also be re-routed to serve Middlebrook once a new spine road providing a link between Horwich and Middlebrook opens in Spring, 2025.”
That target for opening has now passed with no dates for potential opening being offered by NBM or the council.
A spokesman for Bolton Council, said: “Bolton Council and Blue Mantle have a strong working relationship and have collaborated on a masterplan for the wider area that will bring significant benefits for Horwich residents, businesses and landowners.
“Delays, construction challenges and technicalities associated with legal agreements are inevitable in a development of this size, with numerous interested parties involved across a 150-acre site.
“The expiration of the initial five-year programme to complete the link road is one such example, however all sides are directly engaged in finding a quick resolution.”