The former bar and music venue lies within the cobbled streets of the town’s Nelson Square conservation area
The bar closed at the start of 2025
A bar and music venue in a Bolton conservation area could be transformed into flats. Plans have been submitted to convert the ground floor of the former Definitely Maybe’s Green Room on Bowkers Row.
The property is within the Mawdsley Street and Nelson Square conservation area and is with the area designated as a heritage asset. The Green Room was a sister venue to the nearby Oasis-themed Definitely Maybe Bar on Nelson Square.
A design and access report in support of the application said: “The commercial premises has remained vacant since January 2025. Despite being actively marketed for approximately 12 months, no viable interest has been received for its continued commercial use.
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“The business is no longer considered economically viable, and the proposed change of use represents an appropriate and sustainable alternative.”
The upper two floors of the building already contain four self-contained residential flats. The plans state that the applicant, Lost In Property Ltd, intends to convert ground floor, currently a former bar into another two flats.
A heritage statement in support of the plans said: “The property’s current use as a bar is not considered to be a defining element of its architectural significance.
“The proposed residential use would therefore not result in the loss of any identified architectural feature or historic fabric associated with the external character of the building. The proposed accommodation will be entirely contained within the existing building envelope.”
The statement concluded that the proposal represents ‘a sympathetic and sustainable re-use of an existing building’ which would ‘preserve the established character and appearance of the conservation area’.
The heritage area was officially designated in 1970 to protect its unique 19th-century townscape, including the cobbled roads around the Nelson Square and garden area in the centre.
Planners in Bolton will deliberate on the plans in the coming weeks.
