Inchcape is expected to submit a planning application for a new £9 million Audi retail site in Bolton which is being hailed as a potential “game changer” for the town.

The facility, earmarked for a site off Manchester Road which was formerly occupied by Bolton Community College, would replace the group’s existing site off the A666 on the Mill Hill Industrial Estate.

Plans for the site were drawn up after council chiefs approached Inchcape via PSP Bolton LLP, a partnership between the council and Public Sector PLC.

Negotiations over the site – which will be able to accommodate 100 new and used cars – are now in the “final stages”.

The leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Cliff Morris, said: “This is a major private investment for an important gateway to the town.”

He added: “The development will create jobs and could be a real game-changer for this part of the town.”