Town Hall Conservation Area - Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

Fig.20: traditional post box outside the
former Exchange Building
5.0 Extent of intrusion and damage
5.1 Negative aspects
Rear yard areas are often hidden from view, but car parking and the management of
waste, particularly wheeled bin storage is increasingly intrusive in views into rear yards
and on some side streets.
Fig.21: The ugly side elevation of a
retail property on Coronation Street,
off the south side of Victoria Square,
wheeled bins are also intrusive here.
Some of the late 20 th century office and retail development in the conservation area has
been harmful to the character of the area and the setting of the Town Hall. A mediocre
standard of design is the key issue, as the scale and massing of new buildings has often
been appropriate to the context. Examples of poor design for the context include the
Mothercare store on the north east corner of the square and the rear of Whitakers on
Old Hall Street. Poor design can be exacerbated by badly sited building services and
surface parking, resulting in unattractive places for pedestrians, and the erosion of the
historic townscape.
July 2008 20