12/03/2025

NorthFold is open for business: Growth corridor officially launched at MIPIM


One of the most exciting investment opportunities in Greater Manchester is officially live following a formal launch at MIPIM 2025.

NorthFold is now open for business with investors sought for 1m sq ft of development that will transform the area into an international sports and leisure destination, a hub for the emerging health and food innovation sectors, and a model for sustainable housing development.

Driven via an unprecedented collaboration between Wigan and Bolton councils, together with Greater Manchester Combined Authority and developer-partners Peel Land, NorthFold is underpinned by six catalyst projects and a pipeline of infrastructure investment.

Catalyst projects include:

  • Bolton Town Centre: A £1bn masterplan to create 5,000 new town centre residents with a mix of retail, leisure, hospitality and employment space
  • Wigan Town Centre: Creating a destination that combines shopping with leisure, major projects include Wigan Galleries, Cotton Works and ultimately Wigan Station Gateway
  • Haigh Hall: The historic country house is being transformed into a nationally significant arts, culture and heritage destination
  • Hulton Park: 700-year-old estate being restored with new homes, a hotel, retail, sport, leisure and community facilities, with potential to host the 2035 Ryder Cup and other major events
  • Health Innovation Bolton: NorthFold’s primary health innovation zone specialising in wellness and preventative medicine
  • NorthFold Food Innovation Centre: Potential to become a national cluster for food innovation and advanced manufacturing, building on existing strengths of big names like Heinz and Warburtons

NorthFold’s outstanding existing transport links will be enhanced by infrastructure improvements like the planned East-West Link Road.

The fully completed link road would provide a reliable new route across Wigan and Bolton, unlocking access to NorthFold’s many housing and employment sites.

Together with A577 complementary works, expected within 18 months of the link road, the improved road network will encourage more active travel and bus journeys.

Full details are now available on the newly launched NorthFold.co.uk where investors and developers can find out more and register their interest.

Bolton Council’s Director of Place, Jon Dyson, said:

“NorthFold is one of the most significant investment opportunities in Greater Manchester, so it is only right that an announcement of this scale was made at MIPIM in front of an international audience of investors and developers.

“The public launch follows years of hard work to develop the clear pipeline of six catalyst projects that will build real confidence in the market.

“The growth location is an unprecedented collaboration between Bolton and Wigan councils alongside GMCA and, with Peel Land already on board, we look forward to welcoming more partners to the fold.”

Aidan Thatcher, Director of Place at Wigan Council said:

“There’s never been a better time to invest in Wigan, with significant funding already secured and regeneration schemes under way, to help us realise our ambitious growth plans.

“In January Wigan was named a property hotspot, with house prices rising at 5% per year and rental yields increasing, demonstrating confidence in Wigan’s growth and regeneration plans.

“NorthFold represents a great opportunity to be a part of our exciting future, capitalising on all the great things already happening in the borough.”

Stephen Wild, Managing Director of Peel Land said:

“Greater Manchester has always been one of the most forward-looking regions of the UK and the vision for NorthFold further builds on this reputation.

“Centred on a strong location between Bolton and Wigan together with equally strong collaboration between public and private sector parties, we look forward to realising it’s potential – delivering significant areas of housing, innovative workplaces with high quality employment, a leading leisure destination capable of hosting international calibre events and a health innovation campus.

“This will help deliver opportunities and positive legacies for Wigan, Bolton and Greater Manchester as a whole.”