Developers have broken ground on the site of a £6 million day centre in Bolton.
The Jubilee Centre will be built off Crompton Way, where the former Firwood School used to stand. It replaces the existing Jubilee Centre, in Tennyson Street, Halliwell, which currently remains open but has been deemed unsuitable for future use.
Once completed, the centre will include a therapy pool, specialised therapy rooms and a café. An artist's impression also show gardens at the site.
READ MORE : Costs for new ‘jewel in the crown’ Bolton day centre rocket to more than £6m
It has been designed by Bolton Council to provide vital support for adults with disabilities - predominately those with learning disabilities. The design for the new centre has been developed through the council’s strategic partnership with Clear Futures and will now be built by Robertson Construction. The completed hub will be operated by Bolton Cares.
Bolton Council’s executive cabinet member for adult services, Councillor Andy Morgan, said: "The new Jubilee Centre has been designed with the help of service users and their families and will meet the needs of the community both now and into the future. That same principle is also being applied to day services and day opportunities across the borough and we continue to work on plans to transform the way we care.
"We aim to make care more responsive and sustainable to ensure that service users lead fulfilling lives and remain as independent as possible for longer. I know many people are attached to the existing Jubilee Centre, but this ground-breaking project will be a fantastic community facility and we are working in partnership to ensure the move to the new building goes as smoothly as possible."
Bolton Council’s 2022/23 budget has also taken £965,000 of proposed cuts to adult day care off the table, after the council opted to use additional government funding to protect services for the most vulnerable.
Bolton Council’s executive cabinet member for regeneration, Councillor Adele Warren, added: "The council’s regeneration project goes beyond the town centre and is about improving people’s lives as well as places. The new Jubilee Centre will transform a disused site into a place where adults with disabilities can get the care and support they need.
“The building design was praised during the planning application process and the centre will be built to a very high environmental standard.”
Jackie Tait, director of operations at Bolton Cares, said: "We are delighted and excited to be part of this development and believe we will be able to offer fantastic services to the people we support and the wider community.”
