THE University of Bolton unveiled ambitious plans to develop a £40 million student village in the heart of Bolton town centre in 2015.

The plans would have taken in Cheadle Square with talk of the university having offices in Le Mans Crescent.

Those plans have since been dropped as the university, of which Bolton College is now a part of, concentrates on opening a new medical sciences college.

READ MORE: SPECIAL REPORT: Future of Cheadle Square could be key to Bolton's transformation

READ MORE: SPECIAL REPORT : Cheadle Square 'important to get it right or face being judged'

University of Bolton Professor George E Holmes DL, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton, said: “Since those initial plans, the University of Bolton has decided to continue to focus even more on its core mission, which is to provide the best-quality teaching for our students.

“This has been validated by the university being once again named number one in Greater Manchester for Student Satisfaction, and number four in the UK for teaching.

“Consequently we are now pressing ahead with a £32m investment in a fantastic new Medical Sciences College in partnership with and on the site of the Royal Bolton Hospital which will transform teaching in this area and help to fill a huge skills gap for NHS workers in the immediate vicinity and the UK as a whole.

“The new Bolton College of Medical Sciences emphasises the focus we at the University of Bolton Group put into teaching quality under our banner of being ‘Teaching Intensive, Research Informed’.”

The college, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, will transform how NHS workforces are trained, alleviate staffing pressures and result in an improved level of care.

The college is expected to open in 2022 and when completed will include a four and five-storey building, with a nearby three-storey, 406-space car park and a cafe.

A mix of teaching and learning space will be contained in the college, focussing heavily on practical learning, and utilising the latest medical technology, such as simulation suites and surgical and acute care environments.

The college hopes to take its first cohort of students in the same year.