A £19m road held hostage by a £1,200 legal fee
Five years late, with no opening date in sight, the Rivington Chase link road in Horwich stands as a monument to bureaucratic folly and corporate petulance. This £19 million, publicly funded highway, intended to ease congestion in a town that chokes on its own traffic, remains a fenced-off 'road to nowhere' because a developer balked at paying a £1,200 legal fee.
The two-kilometre spine road, part of one of the UK's largest brownfield development sites, was meant to connect Horwich town centre and Chorley New Road to Middlebrook retail park, Horwich Parkway station, and the M61. It would emerge near the Middlebrook Next superstore, close to Bolton Wanderers' Toughsheet stadium. Instead, it sits unfinished, a monument to the kind of managerial incompetence that has become all too familiar in modern Britain.
How did a £1,200 fee stall a £19m project?
The saga began in May 2020, when developers Novo Blue Mantle (NBM) signed a five-year land agreement with Landcare Manchester (LML) to build the road. The deal allowed NBM five years to complete the highway and have it adopted by Bolton Council. But when the agreement expired in May 2025, the land reverted to its original owners on a 958-year lease, and work ground to a halt.
Thirteen months later, little has changed. Negotiations between Bolton Council, NBM, and the landowner have failed to progress, and the road remains blocked by 'private land signs' and fencing. LML claims the entire impasse stems from NBM's refusal to pay a paltry £1,200 legal fee for a licence extension.
In late 2024, NBM requested an extension to the land deal. We agreed in principle, asking only that NBM cover standard, minimal legal fees of £1,200. From February to April 2025 NBM were issued multiple explicit reminders to fund this minor fee. NBM failed to do so and the licence expired with no further legal provision to extend. The critical bottleneck was entirely caused by the developer.
What is Bolton Council doing about the stalled road?
Bolton Council, which funded the road via a Homes England grant, says it is working to resolve the dispute. A spokesperson said the council recently brokered a meeting between the lead developer and landowner, and that cabinet has authorised the use of compulsory purchase powers if needed. But LML has vowed to fight any such move, calling it a 'bailout' for a private developer.
It is frankly abhorrent that Bolton council is even contemplating using taxpayer money to bail out a private developer who allowed the licence to build the road to lapse for the sake of saving £1,200 in legal fees, even if this developer is also Bolton council's long-term business partner.
LML insists it has acted in good faith, even offering a free five-year licence to allow construction to proceed. But if the council resorts to compulsory purchase, LML says it will pursue 'a full compensation settlement plus costs'.
Why does this road matter for Horwich and Bolton?
This is not just a local squabble. The Rivington Chase road was promised as a catalyst for development and a solution to the notorious congestion on Chorley New Road and the Beehive roundabout. Its absence means thousands of motorists continue to suffer daily delays, while the town's economic potential remains unrealised.
It is a sorry state of affairs when a project of this importance, funded by public money, can be held to ransom over a sum that would barely cover a weekend in London. The British public deserves better than this farce of corporate negligence and council timidity.
Frequently asked questions about the Rivington Chase road
Why is the Rivington Chase link road not open?
The road is not open because a five-year land agreement between developer Novo Blue Mantle and landowner Landcare Manchester expired in May 2025, and the land reverted to its original owners. The developer failed to pay a £1,200 legal fee to extend the licence, halting construction.
Who is responsible for the delay?
Landcare Manchester blames Novo Blue Mantle for failing to pay the £1,200 fee despite multiple reminders. The developer says it remains open to reaching an agreement, while Bolton Council is brokering talks and has authorised compulsory purchase powers as a fallback.
What will happen next with the road?
Bolton Council is pursuing a negotiated settlement but has authorised compulsory purchase powers if needed. Landcare Manchester has threatened legal action for full compensation if compulsory purchase is used, meaning the road could remain stalled for some time.