WORK has begun to demolish the old Moor Lane bus station.

Over the last two weeks, diggers and workmen have been spotted preparing the former hub for demolition.

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Work to flatten has now begun, and is expected to take about three weeks.

The work, which is being carried out by Worsley-based J Freeley Demolition, comes months after Bolton Council gave the green light for the £200,000 project.

Leader Cllr Linda Thomas approved plans to spend the money on knocking down the former station after meeting with officers and Tory chief Cllr David Greenhalgh.

According to the council’s chief executive Tony Oakman, the demolition was scheduled to be carried out in September, but appears to have been brought forward.

So far, one section of the bus station has been pulled down, with the rest to follow in the coming days and weeks.

The bus station, which had served the town since the 1930s, has been deserted since September last year, after which services moved to the £48million Bolton Interchange in Great Moor Street.

Once the remains of the old station have been demolished, the site is expected to be turned into housing as part of £1billion plans to overhaul a number of areas in the town centre.

The masterplan states that the Moor Lane site could also house new food and retail offerings as well as housing. It earmarks the bus station redevelopment for between 2018 and 2020.

It states: “The former bus station is seen as an opportunity to reinforce the image of the town’s historic fabric.

“A gridded structure creates a number of compact development plots, with the opportunity to locate a mix of active uses at ground level. Each block is envisaged as a residential development, with a degree of flexibility in terms of the target market, which could include student accommodation.

“There is potential for parking that will service the masterplan area, connecting directly with a new market square.”