Botany Bay officially closes as Chorley prepares for new designer shopping village and 300 homes
The landmark building on the edge of the M61 closed its doors for a final time yesterday (Wednesday, February 20).
The former cotton mill, built in 1855, had been home to a number of small businesses selling a range of goods, from collectable toys to gardening supplies.
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Hide AdDevelopers hope to transform the five-floor mill into a designer shopping village, similar to Cheshire Oaks in Ellesmere Port.
The luxury shopping village is expected to house around 70 units, while the grounds around the building will include a pedestrian street with cafes and restaurants running alongside the canal.
Planning documents reveal ambitious plans to refurbish the existing mill and built up to 288 new homes on the site.
The homes will cover nearly 12 hectares and include a mix of detached, semi-detached, mews and apartments, from two to five bedrooms.
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Hide AdAnother 6.8-hectare parcel of land in nearby Gale Moss will be used as an employment area for industry, storage and distribution companies.
The Botany Bay roundabout, next to junction 8 of the M61, will be the main access route to the development but another access junction is planned for the residential area.