Peel submits plans for 30,000sqm office space on green belt
Peel's plan would see a 9.16 hectare parcel of land directly south of the M61, next to the Watergate Lane roundabout and Logistics North be turned into 'employment space' - essentially office space. Peel submitted the plans on Wednesday April 1 through their agent, Asteer Planning, though they are yet to be reviewed by Bolton Council[1]. 
The planning report stated: " The site benefits from excellent local and strategic transport links. "It has immediate access on to the M61 motorway, which is a key arterial route into the heart of Greater Manchester and which provides connections to other key economic centres, including Chorley and Preston, and the M62 corridor for links across the wider North. "There is a demonstrable unmet need for employment development in Bolton at present.
Grey belt land is a special type of green belt land that developers can develop on if it meets certain criteria. 
The parcel of land is directly above Logistics North, the large logistics and warehouse centre near Over Hulton, which already hosts warehouses for major companies such as Amazon. Peel's[3] development will be continuous with Logistics North, benefitting too from its already-developed transport links. 
Bus services serving the site provide connections to railway stations at Bolton and Walkden, with the 521 service from Logistics North also linking to Westhoughton and Farnworth stations.
In reference to Logistics North, the plan stated: "The proposals will leverage the site's excellent location to create a complementary cluster of employment uses which will drive economic growth and employment opportunities."