Miller hands over project - to hundreds of eager shoppers

Hundreds of shoppers greeted the completion of Miller Construction’s latest project as Bolton Market Hall was opened to the public.

Staff at Miller have spent almost three years restoring the Victorian Market Hall in Bolton Town Centre as part of a £40 million project for its client, shopping centre specialist Warner Estate Holdings Plc (“Warner Estate”).

When Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Anthony Connell, cut the ribbon to open the development, hundreds of eager shoppers poured in to see new stores including the likes of H&M and Zara.

Within days of being open, the centre even played host to Royalty as HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, was given a VIP tour of the new facilities.

Together with the existing shopping centre, the 96,416 sq ft restoration project means Bolton now has 430,000 sq ft of retail space in one mall - equivalent in size to more than 200 tennis courts.

The newly opened mall will see High Street stores such as Oasis, Jane Norman and Principles alongside local independent retailers including Westwells Florist, Stokes Opticians, Cappuccinos Restaurant, C&J Carter Jewellers and The Bag Shop.

Joint MD of Miller Construction, Tom de la Motte (pictured speaking to Prince Edward during his visit), said: “This has been a challenging but very rewarding project for us. It has been a fantastic opportunity for us to bring such an historic building as this back to life.

“While working within a live shopping centre is never easy, seeing the reaction among the public when it was opened was very exciting.”

Kevin Leaver, Senior Development Manager at Warner Estate, which asset manages the Market Place Shopping Centre for the Agora Shopping Centres Fund, said: “This development has cemented Bolton as a leading shopping destination both for the residents of the town itself and shoppers from the wider region.

“Nearly three years in the making, the restored Market Hall has been returned to its former glory and can now be used and enjoyed by the residents of Bolton for many years to come.”

Shopping Centre manager, Rod Neasham added: “We are delighted that our new retailing space is now ready to enjoy, and it filled us with great pride to see excited shoppers exploring the new stores for the first time.

“The centre is truly a modern classic for the region and we feel that it will help in raising Bolton’s profile as a great place to live and to visit.”