We've made some great progress over the last four years. We've had record investment in our local roads and pavements, secured over £150m to regenerate our town centres, and created a more open and transparent council.
All that is now at risk.
With every councillor up for election in May 2023, we could see the biggest shake-up of Bolton in twenty years.
Our Plan for Bolton in 2023 is simple. It's about creating a place that we're all proud to call home. It's about putting an end the ways of the past. It's about looking to the future. And here's how we'll do it:
1. Tackle crime and anti-social behaviour
- By working with Greater Manchester Police, we will ensure every ward has regular Police and Community Together meetings, so the residents have a forum to raise their concerns directly with officers.
- We will make £50,000 available to each ward equally, so they can use this money on a range of improvements in their area, with the option to focus on anti-social behaviour measures, if they feel it is appropriate.
- As part of the Government's investment into police officers, we will make sure Bolton gets its fair share, so we have regular patrols in our neighbourhoods to keep us safe.
2. Keeping your Council Tax low
- We believe councils should not place the burden on residents to fund their expensive habits, so we will only set council tax at level that is appropriate to deliver the services you need, saving you money and keeping the council efficient.
- By delivering efficiencies, we can make sure that our frontline services are protected, so that you get your bins emptied, streets cleaned, and roads repaired.
- Compared to other Greater Manchester authorities run by Labour, Bolton under the Conservatives consistently sets the lowest council tax rates each year, to help you keep more of the money you've earned.
3. Regeneration of our town centres
- Regeneration is a key priority, with local Conservatives securing over £150m in funding from Government, to help create new homes, shops, and leisure experiences for you and your family to enjoy.
- By investing in developing brownfield sites for housing, we can create new and affordable homes while at the same time, protecting our Green Belt by hitting our housing targets.
- We're supporting local towns like Farnworth, Horwich, Little Lever, and Westhoughton by making up to £16m available for local councillors and residents to develop schemes to regenerate their towns, taking favouritism out of decision and allowing local to have a say in their area.
4. Repairing our roads and pavements
- We have invested £13m into our local roads and pavements, which has seen over 350 roads and pavements resurfaced since 2019, meaning safer journeys for you and your family by foot, cycle and car.
- We will continue to give local councillors the power and money to decide which roads and pavements should be resurfaced in their area, ending the favouritism which saw some wards get nothing under Labour, so you see improvements in your area.
- Working with Government, we will benefit from £6m in funding to fill potholes in Greater Manchester, so that we can protect your car and make your journey safer.
5. Caring for our green spaces and protecting our Green Belt
- We will create a Local Plan, meaning that we can demonstrate where homes will be built in the next five years on no Green Belt sites, which will stop developers appealing decisions made by the Planning Committee, protecting our Green Belt.
- We will support local residents in developing Neighbourhood Plans, allowing them to come together and designate sites for development and put it to a local referendum, so that local people can have a say on local housing.
- We will continue to invest in our parks and green spaces, creating a new pocket park in Bolton town centre in memory of HM Queen Elizabeth II and using our successful levelling-up bid to build a new park in Breightmet, giving you places to relax.
6. Looking after our elderly and vulnerable
- Each year, we continue to invest more money into supporting those who need our help the most, so that no matter who you are, you can be safe in the knowledge that you will get the support and care you need when you need it most.
- We are building the new Jubilee Centre, which will become a hub for supporting the most vulnerable in our society, giving them a place to socialise and also get the dedicated care and support that they need.
- Our Household Support Fund has already helped over 2,500 residents during the cost of living crisis, and we will continue to invest more money so that anyone who is struggling can be confident they will get the support they need.